Sweet, Sweet Sixteen
by Ashrox37
Summary: Meet Hatsune Miku, your average teenage girl. Enter her crazy best friends, Luka, Rin, and Gumi. Miku's 16th birthday is just around the corner, and do the girls have something planned? But I guess things can go a bit wrong when all your money is gone and you're stuck in a foreign country... MikuxPiko, RinxLen (OS), LukaxGakupo (OS), GumixKaito (OS), LukaxYuma (OS).
1. Chapter 1 - Miku

**Chapter One**

"Miku!" shouts a voice across the mall, "We're here!" I turn around to see Gumi running up toward me, followed by Luka and Rin, my best friends. We had planned to meet up here to discuss something "super-duper important", as Gumi had called it. Luka and Rin had both agreed, saying I _had _to make it today. I notice the shopping bags in all three of their hands.

"And you went shopping without me?" I ask, eyes widening. I shake my head in silliness.

"Yeah," Luka giggles, "Well, everyone except Rin- she's just holding my extra bags." I scoff.

"It's torture," Rin groans, shoving two of the bags into my arms.

Meet my best friends. First, there's Rin. Rin isn't typically the type to want to be seen out in public holding anything other than a soccer ball, let alone actually go shopping with Luka and Gumi. Luka, my friend since childhood, loves fashion of all sorts. She even looks like a model, which is good since she's always either around or on a runway. Gumi, my friend since a middle school science project, is geeky and wild, but totally prone to mood changes at any time. She's a complete animal freak, and has eight pets in her huge house. I… I guess I'm just normal. But then again, Rin, Luka, and even Gumi all probably think that they're normal too.

"Come on, let's go to the food court already," Rin says, happy to have some of the load off her shoulders.

"Why? So you can see Len again?" Luka asks playfully, only to earn her a smack in the arm.

"No!" Rin retorts, "He's just… We're… I'm hungry, that's all!" Gumi, Luka and I all exchange an amused glance, knowing that Rin's obviously lying. Rin yanks on the strings of her yellow hoodie and scowls. Gumi giggles.

"Oh, love is a science I'll never understand," she sighs dreamily, reaching up to adjust her pink goggles.

"I'm not in love," Rin growls under her breath, shuffling her feet across the tile floor as we make our way to the food court.

"It's not right to deny it," Luka giggles, "Besides, the sooner you admit it, the sooner I can get to work on the dress that he's going to love you in."

"Dress?" Rin shrieks, her face going pale. Gumi, Luka and I all laugh. You don't have to know Rin well to know that she _disgusts _skirts and dresses. She once wore her gym shorts to prom, mind you.

We continue our lighthearted chatter as we flounce through the food court to get to our favorite frozen yogurt shop- Miraka. Of course, we catch the eyes of many people walking around us. Luka, Gumi, Rin and I are pretty well known around here for our different areas of expertise. Luka is famous for her beauty, and for being a fashion icon. Gumi is well-known for winning just about every science fair or academic award in the world. Rin is legendary for her endless shelf of sports trophies. I am known for… well… it's probably my voice. Sure, I'm not completely famous, but I've recorded a couple songs.

Followed by Luka, Gumi and I, Rin shyly walks up to the front counter of Miraka. Len perks up as soon as he sees her. A bright smile comes across his fresh, attractive face as a light blush falls over his cheeks. "H-hi, Rin, and um, ladies. What would you like… to order?" he stammers timidly. Luka nudges Rin in the ribs. She lets out an uncomfortable squeal as she's nudged forward by Gumi.

"Um, I'd like a… um, small orange sherbet," Rin mumbles, looking down and blushing to herself. With a flick of his head, Len tosses his shaggy blonde hair away from his face. Rin's blush deepens as she sinks into awkwardness.

"Small orange sherbet," Len calls to Kaito. Kaito is my childhood friend. We sort of drifted away from each other, though, after middle school, when he stopped talking to me. I'm still not sure why he avoids me all the time. He doesn't even seem to want to take my order anymore. "What about you, Miku?" Len says with a grin, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, um, I'll order Vanilla, I guess," I say casually. Len shakes his head at me playfully.

"You know, you're free to try another flavor. You don't _have _to get vanilla all the time," he laughs, wiping down a spot on the black granite counter. "Unless that's what you _like,_" he chuckles, leaning against the counter. I raise an eyebrow at him teasingly. "I'm guessing you want a small?" he asks coolly. I nod my head. "Got that Kaito? One small vanilla!" he calls to the back.

"Why, If it isn't Gumi Megpoid," Len says with a teasing shake of his head. His blonde hair shakes around him as he does so.

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?!" Gumi nearly screams, clenching her fists. Len chuckles. By the look on my friend's faces, I don't think that anybody knows what happened between them.

"Oh, Gumi," Len sighs with a laugh, "Just order already."

"What the heck?!" Gumi rants, "_You _were the one who was keeping me-"

"A medium Neapolitan with chopped up carrot pieces on the side?" Len asks, already knowing her order. Gumi quits yelling and crosses her arms in defeat. She lets out a dissatisfied humph. "Who eats that stuff, anyway?" Len laughs.

"I like to put them in _myself_," Gumi growls, looking away with her nose in the air. Len gives her a quizzical look.

"Alright, Kaito, Gumi just ordered!" Len shouts. Apparently, Kaito has Gumi's order memorized too. Len turns back to our group.

"Oh, hey Luka," he smiles gratefully as if he had just received a gift. Rin looks down enviously, her expression hardening. "Uh, what would like? A medium strawberry with chocolate chips?" he asks.

"Actually, I'll have a small," Luka decides graciously.

"Why the sudden change?" Len asks interestedly, his eyebrows raising.

"Well, if you had to know, I'm doing another show on Friday," Luka says. Len shrugs nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay, cool," he nods. "I'll make sure to make it," he adds. "One small strawberry with chocolate chips!" he calls to Kaito.

Kaito comes out with Rin and Gumi's orders. Our eyes make contact for what seems to be the lamest excuse for a split second, yet he still turns away embarrassedly. Am I really that… intimidating? My own childhood friend can't even look at me anymore. I finger my teal twin tails. I can't look that scary, can I? Maybe it's for another reason… Whatever it is, he's driving me crazy trying to hide it. "Here, Rin and Gumi. Enjoy. I'll be out with yours and Miku's," he says to Luka.

"Enjoy, you guys," he says with a light smile to everyone except me, once he has brought our frozen yogurt to the counter. Len nods in agreement. I take mine, along with the rest of my friends, and we make our way over to the four-seated table in the middle of the food court.

Once we're seated, I bite my lip and dig my spoon into my small vanilla. "How come he knows _your _order and not _mine?_" Rin scowls, glaring at Gumi. Gumi cackles evilly. Rin rolls her eyes in disbelief and shoves her sherbet into her mouth.

"Just be glad he doesn't question you about yours," Luka laughs.

"How do you even eat all that stuff and not get fat?" Gumi asks, "It goes against every single rule of physics I've ever heard of!"

"Relax, as long as _you're _not fat!" Luka says, pointing to Gumi with her spoon. Gumi scoffs, playing with the tiny amount of fat hanging off her arm.

"And all the carrot cake you eat," Rin adds, "Shame, shame, shame."

"Speaking of cake, Miku, your birthday is this Friday!" Luka smiles.

"Oh, I haven't noticed," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes and giggling, taking a bite of my vanilla frozen yogurt.

"Hey, sorry," Luka retorts, throwing her hands up defensively in the air, "It's not my fault you're so quiet about it."

"I am _not,_" I argue, finishing off the last of it.

"Wow, you ate that fast. Hopefully the cake doesn't turn out the same way," Luka sings. Gumi and Rin laugh.

"Just to clear things up," Gumi says, "It will be _carrot _cake, correct?" she asks. I scoff and shake my head.

"Your obsession is obviously really unhealthy. You know what, for my birthday, I don't even _want _cake," I declare.

"Then what do you want?" Rin asks inquiringly. I take a moment to think.

"Something huge. And I mean _huge,_" I joke. However, I don't think the others know I'm joking…

"Let's throw her a party… with _science!_" Gumi gasps, her emerald eyes lighting up in a way that kind of scares me.

"No way. Let's all just play a game of soccer. I'm not one for big parties," Rin shrugs. I open my mouth to object, only to be cut off.

"Nuh-uh," Luka says, "This is Miku's party. She said she wanted something huge, so let's give her what she wants."

"Actually-"

"Let's take her on a vacation! All four of us!" Luka smiles. Everyone around the table considers the idea. Gumi nods, a smile on her face. Rin bites her lip and raises her eyebrows quickly as if to say _why not? _I, for once, don't disagree.

"I was actually kidding when I said I wanted a big party, but if you really want to, that sounds _really _fun!" I beam, tossing my teal twin tails behind my back.

"Oh," Luka giggles apologetically, "Wait!" she suddenly calls, "Your birthday conflicts with my fashion show this Friday!" she sighs, resting her head on her hand. Rin, Gumi and I exchange a glance.

"Where is it this time?" Rin asks in a monotone voice.

"Paris," Luka responds bleakly.

"Paris? You mean, the city of _love_?" Rin asks, tilting her head. Luka nods. Rin makes a gagging noise and brings her hand to her throat.

"Relax, Rin," Gumi says, "That's probably just an overcapitalized stereotype that's labeled about Paris. Chances are it's not true."

"Besides, you can go with Lenny-chan," Luka teases. Rin turns so red that she could easily challenge the strawberry chunks in Luka's frozen yogurt.

"For the last time, I _do not _like Len!" Rin shouts, slamming her spoon down in her sherbet. Everyone raises their eyebrows.

"Speak of the devil," Gumi mumbles cynically. Everyone turns to see Len standing in front of our table, his face bright red. Rin blinks, her jaw dropping.

"I-I didn't mean it like that… I swear!" she splutters. She swears under her breath.

"No, it's okay. I uh, I get it," Len shrugs, "I was just checking to see if everything was going okay, you know," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Len, I'm sorry," Rin cries, clinging to her cropped golden hair. "I really didn't mean it like that. It's not what you think."

"No, I know. But um, I should probably, um, go now," Len says, rushing off.

"Len-kun! Wait!" Rin calls. Len turns around, his blonde hair flying around him. Their blue eyes gaze intently into each other's. "Uh, could you maybe um…" Rin stutters, shaking her head slightly, "Could you bring us a napkin, please?" Rin frowns.

"What were you really going to say?" Gumi asks, once he's gone.

"I was going to ask him if he wanted to go to Paris with us, but we still don't have Miku's input on the whole vacation," Rin sighs. She suddenly turns her attention toward me. "Miku? Do you want to go?" she asks.

"Is Gumi's carrot cake obsession unhealthy?" I ask.

"Aw, that's too bad," Gumi cuts in, "I guess we're not going!" she sings.

"Gumi, shut up, of course we are," Luka scoffs, flipping her long pink tresses. Gumi frowns, and then smiles despite the unintentional insult.

"Great!" I smile. Rin, Gumi and Luka all catch onto my cute grin, and we all put our hands into the center of the table like we did as kids. "For my Sweet, Sweet Sixteen?" I ask, starting the movement.

"For your Sweet, Sweet Sixteen!" they all echo with giggles, throwing their hands up into the air.

"Uh, ladies, I have your napkins," Len says. There goes the blushing again.

* * *

**-A/N-**

Hooray! (This is where you clap for me for writing a new story!) I've finally gotten over VA, and I've decided to start two new stories, Sweet, Sweet Sixteen, and another one called Mirrors Don't Lie. I'm not quite sure when that one'll be uploaded, but don't worry- soon. I seriously love the characters I've created, and hopefully, they'll come out more later in the story! Also, more Kaito, Gakupo, and Piko coming up! ;)


	2. Chapter 2 - Miku

**Chapter Two**

**-Miku-**

I look up at the black modern analog clock that hangs off my turquoise room wall. _11:58, _it reads. Wow, I've been studying _forever. _I had woken up at seven this morning to start studying for random tests with acronyms that I can't even remember. Like a zombie, I reach blindly across my white desk for my cell phone to text one of my friends.

Right as I pick up my phone, my stomach growls unforgivingly. I had skipped breakfast this morning. I roll my eyes and turn it on, making circles with my finger on the smooth turquoise case. Okay, so I'm a little obsessed with the color. It's really no big deal.

Once it's on, I open the messaging app and find Luka in my contacts. Just as I do so, the doorbell rings. I look around suspiciously. I wasn't expecting anyone today, and both my parents aren't at home right now. I bite my lip, playing with the hem of my frilly white pajama shirt. The doorbell rings again. _Jeez, I'm coming._

Once I make it downstairs, I peer outside through the front window, just in case. On my front porch stands a really impatient Luka. Next to her are Gumi and Rin, who seem to be arguing about something. All of them are carrying… suitcases? I squint, trying to get a better view. The doorbell rings again.

"Gosh! I'm coming!" I call, walking up to the front door as I fix my bunned teal hair, trying to look somewhat presentable. I open the big white door. Luka, Gumi, and Rin all smile.

"There you are!" Luka laughs, "What took you so long?"

"Studying again," I reply. They all nod apologetically.

"We brought suitcases and stuff," Luka confirms, "We thought it'd be a nice day to start packing up for the trip."

"I'm guessing you didn't eat anything yet," Rin shrugs. I nod my head. Sometimes, it's nice to have best friends who will help you pack up for a vacation.

"Alright! Show me to the fridge!" Gumi sings, skipping into my house. Whoops, I think I jinxed it. As we follow her into the kitchen, she drops her dark green suitcase onto my toe… and hard, too. I yelp in pain. "Whoops," she croons ignorantly.

"Gumi, come on, we're packing, not eating," I say, tugging at her arm.

"B-But… I'm hungry," she cries, her shoulders sinking deeply.

"Too bad," I say. She pouts. "Here, take a cheese stick," I growl, rolling my eyes. I reach into the fridge and toss her one. She gives a disgusted look.

"Do you know what's _in _these? Are you trying to _poison _me?!" she shouts.

"Shouldn't have asked," I retort, fixing my pajama top strap.

"What the heck?!" she screams, "I didn't!"

"Well, we're not even here to eat, like I said. Let's go pack. And get your suitcase off of me," I say, realizing it's still leaning against my leg. She picks it up with a disgruntled humph and the four of us stride upstairs.

Once we're back in my turquoise room, Rin, Gumi, and Luka toss their suitcases onto my bed. "Where's yours?" Luka asks. I fish into my closet for a teal bag. Once I find it, I pull it out. Luka shrugs. "Alright," she says in a business tone, "Paris is the city of love and fashion!" Upon saying the latter, she changes her voice to a playful French accent. I raise an eyebrow.

Rin gags. "Do we really have to do this? I hate fashion _and_ love!"

"You might be able to play soccer with some cute French boys," Luka teases her. Rin blushes, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, but only if that's not a lie," she huffs. Luka and I high-five each other. Gumi giggles uncontrollably.

"Alright, Miku," Luka says, keeping her French accent, and calming us down. "Let's see… We should probably be there for about a week, so bring ten outfits. You never know what might happen!" Luka smiles.

"We set it up so that we have five casual outfits, three dresses, and two professional-looking outfits," Gumi informs me. "Rin hated that part," she giggles, only to earn an orderly slap in the arm from Rin. "Oh, and Luka packed her very best outfits," Gumi continues, adjusting her goggles, "You may want to do the same, I mean, not only is it _your_ birthday, but you want to look good in the city of _love!" _she giggles.

"I thought that was just a stereotype," Rin growls, crossing her arms. Her blue eyes make their way to my closet, where a lacy white dress hangs from a thin wooden beam. "Why don't you wear that?" Rin asks with a shrug, "I think you look good in it. Right, guys?" she turns to ask Luka and Gumi. Luka and Gumi nod.

"I agree. Ooh," Gumi says, her attention snapping to a pair of tight black leggings that lies carelessly on the floor, "These are really cute. You should really wear them under the dress."

"Wow, Rin and Gumi, I'm impressed," Luka laughs, tilting her head admiringly, "But Miku, you need the boots to finish it off," she smiles. She opens my closer door wider, tossing her long pink hair behind her back. She finds a mid-calf pair of brown leather boots. They have a white trim at the top and a heel. "Oh my gosh, Miku," Luka swoons, her rain-colored eyes locked onto the boots, "Since when did you have these?"

"Actually, I _didn't _know I had them," I shrug. Luka scoffs.

"What a shame. So much fashion wasted," she sighs. I choose not to take that as an offense. Gumi nods her head sensibly, her shoulder-length green hair bouncing as she does so.

"What about these?" Rin asks, holding up a pair of black strappy sandals on a cork wedge. Luka widens her eyes in shock.

"Wow, Rin, for someone who hates fashion so much, you sure know what really looks good. Where'd you even find that?" Luka marvels. Rin motions to my corner in which I keep all of my shoes.

Gumi tugs on the edge of her dress. "Miku, these are so cute," she says, holding up a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, "How come you never wear them?"

"Oh, I do, outside of school sometimes," I shrug. Gumi flips them around, examining them in awe.

"We're packing these," she instantly decides, tossing them into my teal suitcase. They fall off the edge and onto the floor, only for Rin to catch them just in time. She folds them carefully and places them back in.

"Miku, this is _so _cute!" Luka gasps, holding up a pair of white shorts with a lilac and light turquoise floral design on it. "Where do you shop?" she exclaims.

"Hey, can we quit all this girly stuff and just pack already?" Rin sulks, crossing her arms. Gumi and Luka sigh. I chuckle.

"I think Rin is right. Believe it or not, we've already wasted thirty minutes just looking at my closet," I point out. Luka and Gumi sink their shoulders in defeat.

"Alright, Miku, I found an outfit already," Luka says in a professional tone. She holds up the shorts and a light teal sheer top in her left hand and my pair of white beach sandals in her right.

"Go ahead and pack it," I say. She hands it to Rin who folds it and places it into my suitcase.

In no time, we're already done filling my suitcase with outfits I never even knew I had. Luka gives a satisfied nod. Rin gives a sigh of relief. Gumi wipes her hands against each other, admiring her work.

"Wait, you guys! We're missing one thing!" I say suddenly. All three of them turn their attention toward me. From my jewelry box, I delicately pull out a small golden necklace with a topaz-studded heart charm hanging from it. Luka, Gumi, and even Rin all gasp at how beautiful it is. Of course, they've never seen it before, because well… I guess I never really wear it. Maybe now would be a good time to start.

My childhood friend Piko had given it to me- before he had moved. I'm not sure why he gave it to me, and not Luka, whom he was better friends with, _and _was still prettier than me. Even back then, she would steal the spotlight away from me. I don't mind now, at least she's not trying to. Even now, I still wonder why he gave it to me that afternoon on the playground.

The memory is crisp in my mind- almost as crisp as the winter wind that tore through the air the day he approached me at recess. He had tears in his miserable, multicolored eyes. We were really young, and even then I had my signature teal twin tails, tied up with pink ribbons. He told me he was moving far away, and he gave me the golden necklace that now falls tangled around my dainty fingertips. I wish I could remember where he said he was moving to- I could have visited.

"Hello? Miku!" Rin calls, waving her hand in front of my face. She snaps her fingers strictly. "Snap out of it, okay?" she glares.

"Sorry," I mumble, "How long was I out?" Gumi checks her watch.

"Twenty-one seconds. Still need eighteen to beat your record," she reports.

"Hey," Luka chuckles, "Don't encourage her." I shake my head dismissively at my weird best friends. But then again, they all probably think that I'm weird too.

"Hey, Luka," I ask quietly, "Do you remember Piko?" I nearly whisper.

"What was that?" Luka asks, her periwinkle eyes brightening.

"N-Nothing," I mumble, rubbing my elbow and looking at the floor. A strange silence lingers uncomfortably over our heads.

"Look, it's been like, three hours," Gumi drones, "I need to go. My parents aren't at home, so I've gotta feed my pets." I nod understandably.

"It's okay. Thanks for helping me pack," I say with a light wave. Gumi nods.

"No problem. It was really fun," she smiles, clenching her fists over her chest in enthusiasm. I smile back.

"I should be getting home too," Rin says, checking her watch, "It's already getting dark out." I furrow my eyebrows. Why is everyone so eager to leave all of a sudden?

"Oh, um, alright," I say with a fake smile. "Bye!" Gumi follows Rin as the two girls grab their suitcases and make their way out of my room door, leaving only Luka and I.

"I uh, gotta go too," Luka says, an apologetic look on her face. "I've got an appointment at the spa. I would totally cancel it, but well, you know," she mumbles. "Bye," she says, awkwardly slipping out of my room and shutting the door behind her.

I blink. They had all left so suddenly. In pensive thought, I place a finger lightly onto my chin. Suddenly, my thoughts are shattered by the sound of laughter sifting through the crack between my door and the wall. Were they laughing without me? Possibly… they were planning something against me! They can't be- they're my best friends. Best friends don't do that to each other… right?

More giggling follows as I stare after them. It's not long before I decide to listen in on their conversation. No, it's too distant from here. Suddenly, I spot it sitting on my bed- Luka's pink and brown leather suitcase.

The sound of laughter is now replaced by the sound of my hurried footsteps as I dash down the hallway. I remain silent, carrying Luka's suitcase, until I get to the hallway that they're all in. I hold my breath as I pin myself against the wall, unwilling to make any noise.

"Do you think she'll find out?" Rin's voice asks.

"No way! This plan is infallible!" Gumi's sassy voice sings. Those… _snakes_.

"Argh," Luka's voice groans, "I kind of feel a little bad." I raise my eyebrows innocently and turn down the hallway as if I hadn't heard a thing.

"Luka-san, you left your suitcase in my room," I say, shoving it out in front of me. "I thought you might need it, since, well, you know," I smile.

"Oh," Luka chuckles nervously, "Thanks!" I raise my eyebrows once and drop my smile as if to threateningly say _Yeah, you're welcome. Oh, and you owe me. _I have a feeling by the panicked look on her face that she got the message.

"Well, bye!" I cheer, waving them off. Luka takes a deep breath, grabs her suitcase, and follows Gumi and Rin as they rush out of the door.

What did I just do? What are _they _doing? In defeat, I collapse down onto my white kitchen barstool. I relax my cheek onto the palm of my hand as I lean against the counter. I look down in downfall, my teal twin tails falling over my shoulder. I sit this way in silence for what seems like forever.

Suddenly, the silence is shattered by the sound of raindrops splashing against the tall glass window that faces the lifeless, dreary, grey sky. I look up and sigh. Right as I reach for the TV remote, the house phone rings. I get up from my chair to see the number. _216-664-7065. _I freeze in my tracks, squinting in disbelief. It can't be… Len Kagamine? Why would Len Kagamine be calling me right now? The phone rings again. I hesitate to pick it up. Why…? I bite my lip and force myself to lift it up to my ear.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Uh, hi Miku," Len's voice says, "I just got on my break."

"Um, okay…" I trail off, waiting for him to continue.

"Word got out that you and your friends are vacationing to _Paris,_" he informs me. I raise my eyebrows. People know already?

"Really? I mean, that's true, but," I start.

"Can I _please _come with you guys?" he splutters, completely interrupting me. I gasp, fumbling with the phone.

"You… want to come with us?" I ask, "Is this because of Rin? You want to apologize to her? I mean, she-"

"I don't… no, not… ugh!" Len argues. I can practically see his face getting bright red. "Listen, I know someone in Paris. We kind of left off in this fight, and I wanna settle the score," he says in a serious tone.

"Is that what this is about?" I growl, reaching to hang up the phone.

"Hey, wait!" Len says frantically. I lift the phone back up to my ear. "Why so grouchy? That's really not like you, Miku," he sighs.

"Sorry, I just- Fine. I'll have to talk with my friends, but I'm sure they'll let you go. Especially Rin. I gotta go now, Len. Talk to you later," I rush. I hear a sigh.

"Alright, bye Miku," he says. A click and a silence follow. I sigh. What kind of mess have I dragged myself into this time?

* * *

**-A/N-**

**Alright, okay, so... Gosh, I don't know what to say. First, I'd like to thank my fans... hah, just kidding. I've got none. :P  
Instead of thanking invisible people, I just dropped by to say that the next chapter will be in Luka's p.o.v. because I thought of giving a little change! The chapters after that should be in Rin's p.o.v. and Gumi's p.o.v.!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Luka

**Chapter Three**

**-Luka-**

"You think she'll know what we're doing?" Rin asks for what should probably add up to the thirteenth time.

"Rin, calm down, I highly doubt it," I say, eyes on the road as I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. I make a turn down the smoothly paved road. Palm trees line the street as we pull into

"When will we _be _there already?!" Gumi groans, throwing her nose up into the air to face the heavens.

"Gumi Megpoid, I swear, sometimes you act just like a little kid," Rin sneers.

"Both of you, quiet, I'm driving," I interrupt, crushing the steering wheel in my choking grasp. "Gumi, you'll be fine. We're here already," I tell her as we pull into the mall parking lot. Suddenly my phone dings. Just in time. I look at the number. Unexpectedly, a chill rushes through me as I recognize the contact.

"Alright guys, it's Miku, which one of you wants to answer?" I ask, holding out the phone.

"She thinks Rin is at practice and I'm at home," Gumi points out.

"Right," I frown, picking up my pink cell. "Oh, hi Miku!" I smile cheerfully, twirling a loose strand of my pink hair, which is currently tied up into a stylish bun. Rin and Gumi both instantly move as close to my ear as possible.

"Luka, this is important. Len Kagamine called asking to come with us to Paris," Miku informs me. Rin's jaw drops. Gumi's face contorts into a baffled look.

"Len Kagamine? What would he want from us?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think it's about _us," _Miku says, "He called talking about some guy that he needs to 'settle the score' with. You know guys."

"And that, I do," I mumble. "Look, call him back and tell him we'll think about it," I say. Rin holds her breath. Suddenly, a devious thought comes across my mind. Oh, gosh, this isn't like me… at all. Well, maybe it's time for a little switch-up. "You know what, Miku, never mind. Tell him he can come… as long as he brings Kaito along with him too," I grin. Over the phone, I hear a choke and a splutter. Gumi falls over holding in her laughter. Rin smirks. _Good one, Luka._


	4. Chapter 4 - Rin

**Chapter Four**

**-Rin-**

"Tell him he can come… as long as he brings Kaito along with him too," Luka says with a sadistic grin on her face. What the heck has gotten into her?! I almost object, but then I realize what this would mean for Miku. Quite a birthday, huh? "Alright, Miku. Yup," Luka says. I lean in closer to her so I can hear too.

"I will, I guess," says a regretful Miku. I smirk.

"Great," Luka says deviously.

"Bye, Luka. See you later I guess," Miku drags on.

"Uh-huh," Luka chuckles. "Bye, Miku," she sings. She hangs up. I cover my ears, waiting for… Uh-oh. An ear-piercing scream rips through the air, crumbling my eardrums into useless piles of dust.

"Luka, really? With the scream?" I groan, rolling my eyes to the heavens. Gumi cautiously lifts her hands off her ears.

"I wasn't prepared," she whimpers, almost as if she's about to barf.

"Luka, you can be such a _girl _sometimes," I groan. "But that was a _really _great idea, with Kaito," I laugh, flicking her shoulder. "Sounds like something only I would do," I tease.

"I know," Luka says, staring emptily out of the window. Suddenly, she snaps out of her daze and turns the car off. "I have no idea what got into me…" she trails off. Gumi tilts her head, adjusting her nerdy pink goggles.

"Relax," I laugh, "It was funny!"

"I-I'm not so sure," Luka shrugs.

"Luka… Come on," Gumi says, "I know shopping will cheer you up!"

"We're not even shopping for me…" Luka counters. I roll my eyes.

"Well, shopping for you or for Miku, this is one of the rare occurrence's in which I don't mind it at all," I sing. Both Luka and Gumi's faces both brighten.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" Luka laughs lightly, swinging open her door. How the heck did I even get stuck with friends like these?


	5. Chapter 5 - Gumi

**Chapter Five**

**-Gumi-**

As soon as our five-inch designer heels set foot on the beautiful kingdom that is Milano Square Mall, every head turns our way to admire their drop-dead-gorgeous princesses, Luka Megurine, Rin Kagamine, and their most beautiful queen of all, Gumi Miyuki Megpoid. Hah, just kidding. Usually, Luka, Rin, Miku, and I just walk in the mall like normal people.

However, today, we kind of left Miku at home. I mean, sure, I feel the slightest bad for her, but it's for a totally good cause.

"So where is this shop… Misake?" I ask skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Rin runs her finger through her short blonde hair.

"Doesn't really matter… I just hope it doesn't smell in there," she glowers.

"We really need to get you started on wearing makeup and perfume," Luka teases. Rin makes a vomiting noise with her throat. I giggle.

"I'm pretty sure we make a right now?" I ask, looking to Luka as I slow down. I'm more than positive that Luka would know- she knows this mall by heart. I don't see how she has the memory aptitude to know this huge place _and _still get good grades on her tests and essays.

"Yeah," Luka responds, motioning us to follow her.

"You think Miku is going to like our gift?" I ask.

"God, Gumi, you worry way too much," Rin scoffs, shoving her hands into the pockets of her blue skinny jeans. She also wears a fitted grey hoodie and tan Ugg boots. In her mouth is a orange-flavored lollipop. I shake my head in disagreement.

"I just want to get her something good," I say. Suddenly, a thought falls across my mind. "Luka, what are we getting her?" I ask.

"A dress," Luka replies simply as we continue walking. "Or jewelry," she says with a shrug. "You know, now that I think about it, anything that matches her color scheme," she laughs.

"You mean her monochrome color scheme?" Rin retorts. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's get her something pink," she spits out, crossing her arms. Luka and I nod at in consideration. Before I can say anything, Rin tugs on our arms. "Good, now let's go to the food court," she grins, "I'm _starving!_"


	6. Chapter 6 - Miku

**Chapter Six**

**-Miku-**

I glance over at the clock. I sigh in sorrow. It seems _way _later than 2:49. It's probably just the dark sky. I pull at the hem of my skirt, wanting something to do other than watching TV. I rest my chin on the palm of my hand. Suddenly, I remember what Luka had told me to do!

Hesitantly, I reach for the phone and dial what I remember Len's number to be. Biting uncomfortably on my lip, I wait for him to pick up.

"Hello? This is Len Kagamine," he responds with a mature, handsome voice.

"Right. Um, Len, about the Paris thing, I-"

"Oh, Miku! Hi!" he says before clearing his throat.

"Hi, Len. Luka says you can come-"

"Seriously? That's great!" Len cheers.

"On one condition…" I cut him off. I leave him with a silence that cuts off his happiness instantly. "You uh, Luka said that you have to bring Kaito, too," I say quietly.

"Are you sure it wasn't _you_ who said that?" he teases with a playful laugh.

"What? No? I'm not even sure why I would…" I trail off.

"Oh, um. Okay," Len mumbles. "Nevermind about that. Next time you see Luka, tell her that I'll be there… With Kaito," he finishes. I take a deep breath.

"Alright, Len," I say, with a conclusive refreshed smile, "Bye."

"See you later, Miku," he says back. I hear the phone hang up. I wait a moment of silence, breath in, and begin my rage. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?! Why?! WHY?! Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy? WHYYYYYYYY?!

Suddenly, my thoughts are disturbed by the sound of the doorbell echoing throughout the kitchen. I look around, and then edge myself off the barstool and away from the granite counter. Knowing it must be Luka, Gumi and Rin, I open up the door.

I nearly collapse and slam the door when I see who it is. Instead, I gasp and then contort my face into a forced smile in my weak attempt to look amiable. In front of my pathetically shocked face stands a blue-haired young man with a warm face. He's still wearing that strange blue scarf of his, even though we're still in August. He returns my look with one that reminds me of… well, Rin walking into the makeup store in the mall… when there's a sale.

"K-Kaito… Shion?" I ask, tilting my head. "What are you doing here?"

"Um," he mumbles. Suddenly, a look comes across his face. I can practically hear him swallow down some emotion of… fear? "Look, um, Miku, Len Kagamine told me to come over here to deliver a message. We're both going to join you and your friends on our trip to Paris," he gulps. I wait for his words to sink in.

"Uh," I chuckle, my fingers finding their way to my hair. They begin to twirl the long, smooth teal strands. "I'm sorry, you really didn't have to do that, Kaito-sama," I smile. He clears his throat awkwardly.

"Um, well," he shrugs, looking away.

"Yeah," I shrug, looking in the other direction.

"Look, Miku-sama, I'm sorry, so, _so _sorry," he says, snapping my gaze back to his distraught sapphire eyes. I furrow my eyebrows as my lips part the slightest bit in confusion. Instinctively, I reach out to ask why, but he continues. "We could have still been good friends. It's my fault that we um, stopped," he says.

"We… You… what?" I ask, shaking my head. I sigh. "Here, Kaito, why don't you come in?" I ask, holding the door open wider. "I think this is all a misunderstanding. Nothing's your fault," I say as he steps in and takes off his denim jacket to reveal a dark blue t-shirt that really shows off h-

"Miku," he says, grabbing my attention again. A muddled noise escapes from the back of my throat. "I really messed up back then. I'm sorry for… you know, avoiding you and stuff when I should've been more open with you," he rambles, twirling his fingers around each other. I can feel my cheeks heating up.

"No, I… Oh, Kaito, I don't know what to say," I mumble with a foolish smile.

"How about… um… How are you?" he chuckles, flipping his striking blue hair to the side of his face. He sticks his hands bashfully in his pockets. "It's um, it's been a while since we've really talked," he admits. I nod furiously.

"I've been really good, actually. You know, the usual, recording songs, stopping for frozen yogurt, shopping. Stuff like that. I guess nothing too exciting has really happened, now that I think about it," I shrug. Kaito nods.

"Yeah, I've seen you around, especially around the shop," he says. Suddenly, a look falls over his face. I can tell that he's hesitating about something. He opens his mouth to speak. I look intently into his cobalt eyes. "Hey, and by the way," he finally starts. I watch as a playful grin spreads across his face. "Your friend Rin…" he says. I raise my eyebrows, sort of afraid of what he'll say next. "Len is totally into her," he laughs. If I were drinking anything, I would definitely be choking.

"I knew it!" I laugh along. He nods.

"I guess it's pretty obvious, huh?" he chuckles, looking down to himself.

"Kaito, can I ask you something?" I ask, my laughter slowly fading. He looks back up in attention. "How come you always wear that scarf?" I ask. His face suddenly falls and the smile is wiped off completely, replaced by a dejected frown.

"I uh, I…" he starts, clutching the scarf from around his neck and weaving it through his fingers. "I… don't," he retorts, looking down and taking a deep breath. "I mean, it's… personal," he finally says, waving it off.

"Oh," is all I can say. I blink and swallow. "I didn't know. Sorry, Kaito," I say.

"No, it's fine, you… didn't know, I guess," he says, followed by a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. I crinkle my eyebrows. He stares at the clock on the wall. Immediately, I widen my eyebrows in realization of what this must mean.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" I ask, standing up from the table. He stands up as well and shakes his head furiously.

"Oh, no!" he quickly says, holding up his hands defensively. I nod, yet it still appears to look doubtful. He awkwardly sits down again. "But, Miku, there is one thing I have to ask of you…" he starts, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

"Oh, what is it?" I ask cheerfully, offering him a reassuring smile.

"I know this probably doesn't seem right to ask as a houseguest, but do you have any ice-cream?" he asks. I let out a confused laugh. He grins and shrugs.

"Ice-cream? I mean… I'm pretty sure I do, but why?" I ask, making my way over to the tall metal fridge fixed into the wall behind the counter island.

"Oh, just 'cuz. I thought we could, you know, share some," Kaito laughs. I crinkle my eyebrows, but smile anyway. I open up the freezer, but stop there.

"What flavor?" I ask, turning only my head to face back at him.

"Your choice," he grins. I spin back around, my teal twin tails following my motion. I reach in and dig around for the Vanilla.

"How's this?" I smile. He sighs playfully, shaking his head.

"Should've guessed. Vanilla's all you ever get," he jokes, flicking the air. I roll my eyes, yet for some reason he manages to pull a laugh out of me.

"What? Would you prefer to eat leeks instead?" I tease pointedly. Widening his eyes in disbelief, he shakes his head as if he's the victim.

"Leeks? Disgusting! Who eats those?" he plays. I laugh, though I'm shocked. I take a while to laugh as if I'm really enjoying myself. Suddenly, I stop.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," I say, fixing my fiery stare onto his vulnerable sapphire eyes. Then, I give a quick cute smile, turn around, and reach into the cupboard for two bowls. I pull them out, set them lightly on the table, and start scooping creamy French Vanilla ice-cream into them both.

"I have to admit, that looks good," he says.

"Kaito, did you come over here just for ice-cream?" I ask pointedly.

"No," he splutters.

"Liar," I retort with a laugh, pulling out the chair. I sit down gracefully, my teal twin tails following my motion. Looking down, he chuckles to himself, his cobalt hair shadowing his navy eyes. I can't help but let out a small blush. Kaito digs his spoon into the rich, milky ice-cream and slowly puts it into his mouth.

"Mmm, where do you get this stuff?" he asks, tangled into his hunger.

"What do you mean?" I ask, "I didn't buy it." Kaito shrugs and checks his watch.

"Oh gosh, it's already 3:00?" he asks, his eyes growing wide. I place my hands on the table.

"Wait! Y-You didn't tell me you had somewhere to be! I-I wouldn't have kept you over so long!" I stammer, my eyebrows wrinkling up in unease.

"No," he insists, calming me down, "It's okay. Thanks for inviting me in." He wears a warm smile that relaxes me instantly.

"Are you sure?" I ask as he stands up and finishes the last of his ice-cream. He nods. I watch in silence as he walks into the mudroom to put his jacket back on. "K-Kaito," I mumble, "It's raining." He looks down.

"I know," is all he says, turning away from me and walking out the door. I open my mouth to say something, but instead, I find myself staring soundlessly at his back as the rain drips down his hair onto his scarf. He turns around for a second and offers me a small wave. I give him back a smile in return.

"B-Bye, Kaito…" I whisper as a clap of thunder mutes my words, "See you."

* * *

**A/N**

**So, Miku finally starts to like Kaito... I thought I should bring him into the story because well, you know. Character development needs to get somewhere. Alright spoiler time: What do you think of Piko and Gakupo, eh~?**


	7. Chapter 7 - Miku

**Chapter Seven**

**-Miku-**

The sun is now up, sending warm rays of light sneaking through the cracks between my blinds. I watch as tiny dots of dust climb up the stairways of sunshine. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the sudden light as I rub them. I stretch my arms and legs, sitting up in my bed. It's funny how one day it can be pouring outside, and the next day is completely taken over by sunlight.

Suddenly, a thought flashes into my mind. Today is… Wow! I can't believe it's already vacation day! I throw the covers off me as my long, loose teal hair flows around my shoulders. I hadn't even thought of picking out an outfit to wear today! I fly through my closet, pulling out a pair of jeans and a black and cream striped blouse. I toss them on my bed and run into the shower.

By the time I am done in the shower, my hair looks a mess from the humid air that clouds over my head. I step out with a white towel wrapped around my body. Sifting through my drawers, I sort through cosmetics, perfumes, and… ah! My pink hairbrush! I furiously rake the brush through my tangled hair as the memories from my thirteenth birthday form in my mind. Luka had given it to as a gift because my hair was so messy back then. I guess it still is, but at least I have a way to take care of it now.

After I finish getting dressed, I run downstairs and dash out of my front door. Suddenly, all I could feel was the sweltering heat of the sun beating down on my tanned skin. As I calm my fragmented breathes, I start to smell the calming fragrance of magnolia as it fills the August air. I relax my shoulders as the birds begin to chirp their morning calls, harmonizing with the buzz of the bees as they go about their daily work. Now complete relaxed, I sit down on my porch step and face the sky as I watch the sizzling heat waves modulate off of the driveway pavement.

My serenity is abruptly interrupted by the sound of a horn honking. I look up to see Luka, Rin and Gumi all waving from Luka's black convertible as they pull into my driveway. I wave, standing up from the porch step. "Hey, Miku!" Gumi shouts, waving back at me. I pull open the back car door and slide in next to Rin. This leaves Luka behind the wheel and Gumi in the passenger seat.

"It is _so _darn hot today," Rin whines, turning off her cell phone. "How do you live like this?" she asks no one in particular.

"I know," Gumi smiles, "Isn't it great?" Rin rolls her eyes in shock.

"By the way Miku," Luka says, looking at me in the rearview mirror, "Your suitcase is in the trunk. I nod appreciatively.

"Thanks for taking that for me," I say with a light smile.

"Yeah, you're welcome," she shrugs, pulling out of my driveway, "It wasn't really any trouble or anything." There's a light silence as she slides onto the open road. I tilt my head.

"Um, Luka?" I ask. She lets out a transient, attentive hum, signaling for me to continue speaking. "How much money are we planning to spend on this vacation?" I ask. Gumi and Rin exchange a glance.

"Twenty-thousand dollars," Luka replies indifferently. My eyes practically jump out of their sockets.

"Twenty-_thousand _dollars?!" I repeat, clinging on to the headrest of the seat in front of mine.

"Calm down. That includes our spending money, and don't forget, it pays for all four of us," she says with a motherly, mature voice. She still doesn't take her eyes off of the road as she speaks. "Also, half of that came from Rin's family. You know how generous they are," she adds.

"Yeah, but they don't give any of it to me," Rin growls, crossing her arms and shoving her feet into the back of Luka's seat.

"And still, another fourth of that came from Gumi and her parents," Luka informs me. I sit down again.

"They almost wouldn't let me go," Gumi adds pessimistically.

"You see? It's not that much when you think about it," Luka concludes.

"Wait!" I suddenly interject, "What about Kaito and Len?" I ask.

"What about them?" Rin asks. "They're paying for themselves. And our planes are separate from them, so we should be fine for at least a couple hours," she mumbles, picking dirt out of her nails.

"What do you mean?" I ask Rin, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Rin asks, "Would you like to spend an entire plane ride with those bakas?" I let out a scoff.

"Gosh, Rin," I sigh, with a dismissive shake of my head, "Get to know a person before calling them an idiot." Rin's eyes widen.

"What?" she asks defensively, "It's not like you _like _either of them, do you?" My face suddenly turns bright red.

"L-Like? Either of them?" I ask, my words coming out in broken shards. "N-No way!" I protest, fidgeting with my black and cream striped dolman top. "Luka, how much longer until we're at the airport?" I ask, quickly changing the subject.

"Liar!" Rin retorts, bringing back just as fast as I had dismissed it. My cheeks flush as I remember the time that I had said the same word to Kaito. "You so like one of them!" she calls out with a devious grin on her face. I gasp in objection.

"Come on Miku, which one is it?" Gumi laughs.

"You're in this too?!" I demand as the car swerves.

"You three calm down," Luka groans, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I feel like I've said this fifty times already. Especially you, Miku. Although… I would like to know which one of those delinquents you've got a crush on," she hums.

"Luka… You too?!" I gasp. Rin smirks.

"Is it Kaito?" she teases. I widen my eyes.

"K-Kaito? Shion? No way! G-Gross," I stutter, pretending to be totally disgusted by the idea.

"Oh well then," Rin shrugs. Thank god she fell for it… "I guess it must be Kagamine," she sings sweetly. I practically choke. Even Luka laughs. "And to think…" Rin adds, "That my best friend would go behind my back… and with _my _Lenny. Oh, how does she live like this?" she says, marking every dynamic word with a threatening tick of her fingers.

"I-I swear! Rin! It's not like that!" I yell.

"Miku, I'm driving," Luka warns.

"That's what they all say," Rin hums, checking her nails.

"Come on, Rin, you know she doesn't like him," Gumi sighs with a shake of her head. "If anything, _you _do," Gumi adds playfully, polishing her goggles on her grey summer sweater. Gosh, sometimes it is _so _nice having a friend like Gumi.

"M-Me?" Rin gags, shoving her finger into her chest. "No way! L-Len isn't like… boyfriend-worthy or anything! W-We're just _friends_!" she protests.

"Come on, Rin," Gumi laughs with a regal wave of her hand, "You just admitted he was _your _Lenny. Now you're going to tell us he isn't your guy?"

"H-He's not!" Rin argues, her face turning bright red. She crosses her arms with a humph and thrusts her boots into the back of Luka's seat.

"I swear Rin, if you do that one more time…" Luka warns, her voice dangerously sweet, piercing the air like daggers so that Rin gets the message nice and clear. Rin cautiously removes her feet and curls up into her own seat.

"Jeez, sorry," she growls.

"Rinny-chan, you are _so _moody. Lighten up," Gumi suggests happily, "We're just having a little bit of fun, that's all," she giggles. Rin mumbles something under her breath. Luka shakes her head, making a left turn.

"You guys spent so much time arguing. We're already there," she tells us, pulling into the airport parking lot. "You might all want a pair of shades. It's really sunny and hot outside," she adds, tossing me a cute pair with teal lining. She hands a green pair to Gumi and throws a yellow pair to Rin. Out of her black bag, she takes out a pink pair to put on herself. "Consider these a gift. They cost me a ton," she adds with a laugh.

"Thanks, Luka," I say, putting mine on like a celebrity. "How do I look?" I ask, pouting in front of the rearview mirror.

"Oh, Miku…" Rin sighs, shaking her head. She puts hers on. "These are great though," she says, pushing them back on her nose.

"B-But…" Gumi starts, "My goggles…" she trails off, laughing with a look that falls in between frightened and confused. "Oh, boy."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot, Gumi. You can't wear any other headgear but your goggles," Luka sighs, shaking her head at Gumi's childlike attitude.

"Whatever. I need to stop wearing these all the time, anyway," Gumi says. Part of me drops into regret as she yanks the pink goggles off her shoulder-length green hair and stuffs them into her brown leather bag. I'm going to miss those. Gumi puts her pair of green sunglasses on and adjusts them. "I actually like these. They're way better than goggles any day," she laughs.

"I'm glad you like them," Luka smiles. "Alright, let's go. Don't forget all of your suitcases," she reminds us, opening her door and stepping out. Gumi, Rin, and I all do the same and make our way to the trunk of her convertible to get our suitcases and bags. Rin tugs open the trunk. We all pull out our suitcases- of course, Luka has the most.

Walking along the paved parking lot in sync, almost as if we're in the mall, lots of eyes turn our way. I'd hate to sound vain, but I guess that's how it goes when you're a group of four attractive, well-known teenage girls. Not to mention the fact that we're all dressed really stylishly. Luka even managed to convince Rin to put on something other than a hoodie and jeans just for today.

Instead of her usual lazy getup, Rin is wearing a cool-tinted loose grey sweater that falls over her petite figure and a cute cropped orange plaid skirt. To go with the skirt, she has semi-transparent stockings that stop mid-thigh. In her short blonde hair, she wears a big orange bow with white polka-dots. Around her wrist are a couple thin gold bracelets that clink every time she moves her arms. Luka actually succeeded to get Rin to wear orange nail polish and a little bit of mascara. As she walks, her dark grey combat boots click against the hot asphalt.

Gumi is confidently wearing a white dress that stops mid-thigh. The bottom is gradiently patterned with intricate floral lace. Around her thin waist is a skinny brown leather belt with a silver buckle. Over her dress and belt she wears a dark grey sweater that has a side designed with little holes going down the sides of the sleeves. On her feet are tall wedges that increase her height by a couple inches. They have bright pink straps that create a crisscrossed design across her feet. I guess that her shoes would have matched her goggles if she hadn't have taken them off. Gumi's makeup looks perfect- not too much, and not too little. Her cherry blossom pink lipstick contrasts with her green hair perfectly.

Of course, you can't ever forget Luka's outfit. No matter what she wears, she always seems to look good in it- and be noticed. Today she's wearing a trendy fitted black and white striped dress that shows off her long legs. Over it, she wears a tasteful sleeveless denim jacket. A pair of golden hoop earrings hangs from her ears, and her nails are painted black to match the dress. She's also wearing black heeled boots with laces and a delicate lace pattern on the side. Her long pink hair is styled so that it falls in loose curls, and the tips of her bangs curve over her raindrop-colored eyes. Her shades top off the look and add a playful, fun touch.

"Are you guys ready? I'm excited!" I smile warmly, swinging my arms as we walk. Rin, Gumi, and Luka all nod.

"Miku, get ready to have the best birthday _ever!_" Luka sings, trying to motion her arms as she balances her four suitcases. I laugh along as we make our way into the airport. It's not long before my best friends join in. I smile to myself. This… is perfect! I guess she's right. I am going to have the best birthday ever.

Whoops. I hope I didn't jinx it.

* * *

**Oh, Miku... Miku, Miku, Miku... you just ****_did _****jinx it. Sorry 'bout that. Thanks for reading (gotta say it at some point). Hopefully the story can get a little bit more un-perfect as it goes on in the next couple chapters... Prepare for shockers and twisties!**


	8. Chapter 8 - Rin

**Chapter Eight**

**-Rin-**

Plane rides. God, do I _hate _plane rides. I guess it's probably been an hour since we boarded onto the plane. Usually, I just toss on my headphones, kick my feet up, and relax, blocking out the rest of the world. But no. Today, I forgot to take my headphones out of my suitcase before I put it in the compartment above my head. I guess I _could _probably just go and get it now, but I'd seriously hate to be a bother to everyone- especially on Miku's birthday vacation. Plus, I'd have to scoot past other people and… Gah! Too much work.

Suddenly, I feel a kick in the back of my chair. I narrow my eyes and stare out the window at all the pretty clouds. _Yes, the clouds sure are beautiful. Uh-huh. Just keep on convincing yourself- _There it goes again. I let out a heavy sigh and pretend it didn't happen. I hear a giggle as my seat gets kicked even harder. I instantly spin around in my chair and glare. I guess I'm not really too surprised to see a little kid with blonde hair sitting there with a smug little smirk on his face- however, he looks strange… It's probably because of the bandages on his left eye.

I open my mouth to yell at him, but I fall silent. Instead of screaming my head off, I let out a sigh. "Just don't do that again," I warn. For some odd reason, it comes out sounding… less threatening than I intended it to. I turn around in my chair and sit down again.

Jeez, why can't I just yell at this kid? He looks too… familiar. I just… can't. I bite my lip in angry thought. Possibly I've seen him before… maybe in the airport? Still, I should be able to yell at him just like I can yell at any other kid, right? I let out a frustrated sigh and cross my arms. _The clouds certainly are pretty, aren't they? _I think, trying to ignore the kid. _Look at how they go with the colors of the sky. The pretty blue… _

I'm not getting weak, am I? Is that why I can't yell at him?! Suddenly, my fingers find their way to my eyes as I try to pull off the mascara. This has to be the reason why. All this makeup is turning me into a… girl!

"Rin, what are you doing?" Gumi asks, turning her head to face me.

"Help me take this off!" I cry frantically, tugging painfully at my eyelashes.

"Rin, that's not at all how you take off makeup," Gumi sighs, "Go to the plane bathroom and wash it off, if you really care _that _much." I do exactly as she says, running into the bathroom. This had _better_ fix this so I can yell at this baka.


	9. Chapter 9 - Gumi

**Chapter Nine**

**-Gumi-**

What was Rin just doing, trying to take off her makeup like that? Everyone knows you don't _yank _mascara off of your lashes like that- It's dangerous! I bite my lip. Why did I send her in here anyway, alone? She'll have absolutely no idea how to do it even if she had the instructions written on the mirror with my cherry pink lipstick! I take my headphones off, stick them into the seat pocket in front of me, and get up to help her.

Once I reach the bathroom, I bite my lip in realization that it's locked. "Rin, it's Gumi. You doing okay in there?" I call, leaning my face toward the side of the door. I hear a muffled response, and the door clicks open enough for me to slide in without raising suspicion.

"How do you get this stuff off?" Rin cries. I gasp in horror as I look at her face. I guess the mascara might have been a bad idea. Rin's cheeks are stained with black lines running down, from water she shouldn't have used.

"Oh my gosh, Rin!" I shout. "This is not okay! How'd you even manage to mess it up like this?" I ask.

"Do you really think I know?!" Rin retorts crossly.

"You used water, didn't you?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows. She nods. "Oh, Rin," I cry, "I'm so sorry. Is that what I told you to do?" I ask. She nods pointedly. My shoulders fall. "You _never _want to do this again unless it's for a Halloween costume, okay?" I ask her.

"Just help me out here," she sighs.

"Alright, go ahead and wash that stuff off of your face," I tell her, grabbing a bunch of toilet paper and folding it into a reasonable excuse for a cloth. I hand it to her for her to wet it in the sink. She begins rubbing it off her cheeks. I can't help but frown at her pained expression as she does so. "Rin, I'm so sorry," I say again.

"Don't be," she replies indifferently.

"Just, don't get any of the water on your eyelashes or anything," I advise.

"Thanks," she says limply, not even looking at me. I slip out of the door.

"Alright, bye," I reply, swallowing down my feelings of pity. "Good luck," I add, closing it behind me. Why did I tell her to do that?


	10. Chapter 10 - Luka

**Chapter Ten**

**-Luka-**

"Folks, we have begun our descent to Paris, France, where the weather is currently sunny at seventy-four degrees. We will be in the gate in about twenty minutes," says a voice over the intercom. Miku and I both smile at each other in excitement and let out squeals. "The flight attendants will now prepare the cabin for arrival. Please fasten your seatbelts and raise your chairs to the upright position. We'd like to thank you for flying with us today," the voice concludes. My face flushes as I let out an excited shiver- but maybe it's just because it's cold on the plane.

"Are you excited?" I ask Miku, keeping my voice low.

"Totally!" she responds with a delightful tilt of her head. I smile back. The flight attendant begins speaking, discussing things like carry-on baggage and tray tables. I watch Miku, squirming in my chair, as she takes her twin tails out and puts them back in so that they look neater.

"Rin," I hear Gumi's voice at a whisper. "When we get there, ask Luka if she's got anything," Gumi says softly. Upon hearing my name, my attention snaps to Gumi and Rin… whose makeup looks completely ruined! Her mascara is practically running down her cheeks… although she looks like she at least attempted to wipe it off her face. I guess she did a decent job trying to fix it. Maybe Gumi helped.

"Luka, snap out of it, we're going!" Miku grins, snapping her fingers in front of my dazed face. Letting out a yawn, I get up and stretch my long arms and legs. I've always been taller than my friends, but I guess that kind of thing is looked up upon when you're a model.

"Luka, did you pack any makeup remover or anything? I _hate _this stuff," Rin asks me with a sour tone. Shaking my head, I laugh lightly.

"Sure, when we get to our rental house, I'll see what I've got," I tell her. Her face lights up.

"Thank you so much!" Rin sighs, turning around to grab her luggage from the compartment above her head. Miku, Gumi and I all reach up over our heads to do the same.

As we depart from the plane, Gumi, putting on her shades like a superstar, struts down the walkway and into the airport, shouting "Paris here we come!"


	11. Chapter 11 - Miku

**Chapter Eleven**

**-Miku-**

"So this is our house for the week, huh?" I ask as we pull up into a rounded gravel driveway. Orange trees line the side of the pavement, shooting from the fresh green grass. I look up to see a tall mango-colored house with white trim and black shutters. It looks to be a nice size for all four of us.

"Mm-hmm," Luka nods, turning off the car once we're parked.

"It's awesome! It looks so… home-y," Gumi giggles, bouncing in her seat.

"I agree," Rin nods, "Especially the oranges!"

"I knew you would like those," Luka laughs, "That's why I picked this house as opposed to the ones down the street. Plus, this one felt a little bit more comfortable to me," she tells us. We all get out of the car, skipping down to the trunk.

"Gosh, my bag feels so much lighter," Gumi notes, lifting up her suitcase and placing it on the ground.

"Mine too," I say, doing the same, "I guess I still feel a little bit hazy from the plane ride."

"I'm exhausted," Rin groans, getting her suitcase. "I feel like we were on that plane for _hours,_" she mumbles.

"That's probably because we were," Gumi retorts. I can't help but laugh.

"Come on, Rin. We're almost inside," Luka says with a shake of her head. We all make our way up to the door, where Luka pulls out a pair of keys from her pocket and opens it up. We all walk into the house curiously- Gumi of course, skips into the doorway merrily.

"Something about this house gives me a really good feeling!" she smiles, tossing her bags onto the nearest couch. I look around. The ceilings are tall and the main room is huge, giving it an open look. The curtains sway gently as the citrus-scented breeze drifts in, carrying sunlight with it.

"You guys like it?" Luka asks, looking around too.

"I for one _love _it," Rin says, hopping onto the couch and picking up the remote. Luka widens her eyes.

"We just got here!" she shouts at Rin, "Can you get off the couch for one minute?" Gumi and I exchange a glance. Rin growls and mumbles something inaudibly.

"Jeez, I _just _said I was exhausted…" she complains.

"So what?" Luka says, taking off her boots. Gumi and I both reach down to do the same. "Besides, don't you want to visit Kaito and Len?" Luka suddenly asks, looking up.

"I guess so," Rin says, standing up and brushing off the imaginary dust on her orange plaid skirt. Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I say, since I'm the closest. I reach out to open the door and twist the smooth silver handle that feels cool on my fingertips. Standing in front of me is Kaito and Len, both with their hands in their pockets. "Hey, guys!" I smile. I can literally see Rin perk up upon seeing Len. "Come in," I suggest, stepping back to allow them some space.

"This is awesome," Len says, tugging at the strings of his yellow hoodie and looking around. Kaito offers me a wave and a smile.

"Hey, Miku. Happy early birthday," he says. I awkwardly give a smile in return. I guess my creased eyebrows and the clumsy blush kind of ruin it.

"Thanks, Kaito," I say to even it out.

"Alright, Miku," Len says, coming back from greeting Rin. "I have got to take you to meet my _friend_," he says, stretching out the word friend. I inhale hesitantly, shooting him a quizzical look. "I promise you'll like him," he says, holding out his hand. I take it lightly. Suddenly, I feel myself yanked out of the door.

"Len, seriously?" I ask, "What are you doing?"

"Remember over the phone I told you about-"

"Oh, that. So _that's _what this is about," I mumble as we continue walking.

"I'm so glad you picked this street," Len laughs, still tugging at my arm, "He lives like, two houses down."

"Seriously?" I ask, raising an eyebrow suspiciously as we cross over a front yard.

"Yeah," he replies as we make our way over another one and up the house's path.

"Why'd you want him to meet me so suddenly?" I ask. Len chuckles.

"Oh, I don't think he's just now meeting you," Len laughs mysteriously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask as Len rings the doorbell. He doesn't reply. I watch with my arms crossed as we wait.

Suddenly, the door opens, and I see a tall guy about my age wearing a charcoal grey V-neck. I can't help but notice his strong build- his shirt clearly shows off his defined muscles. He's wearing dark wash jeans with ripped designs in a few places. He has snowy white hair that falls over his mysterious eyes, which are… Oh my god. I swear I've seen those before… that deep, heterochromic pair of eyes.

"P-Piko… Utatane…?" I ask, stumbling back in shock. A smile forms on his face.

"If it isn't Hatsune Miku," he says, a sparkle gleaming in his eyes. Those eyes… "You haven't changed one bit, if I may say so myself," he laughs, "You've still got those adorable twin tails." I find myself unable to give a reply.

"B-But… you look so different…" I manage to choke out. He chuckles in response.

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that," he says, winking at me. I swallow- I guess it's pretty audible since Len lets out a snort at my misfortune. "Here, why don't you come in?" he asks, "I think we've got a ton to catch up on."

"I um, better get going. Kaito's going to be wondering where I am," Len laughs, looking at me deviously the entire time.

"You're not talking about Kaito Shion, are you?" Piko asks Len.

"Yeah," Len laughs, "I'm surprised you still remember him after this long."

"Oh no, Kaito and I were good friends back then," Piko laughs, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and leaning back against the wall. His silvery bangs fall as he does so, shadowing his cavernous, enigmatic green and blue eyes.

"Alright. I'll tell him you said hi," Len says, waving as he leaves the house. Piko and I both watch silently through the window as he skips down the street.

"So, um…" Piko says, leaning back. Suddenly, he snaps upright. "Here, why don't you sit down?" he asks, quickly pulling out a chair for me to sit down in.

"So… um… it's been a while," I start quietly.

"Yeah," he smiles, "It really has."

"Why'd you move to Paris?" I ask suddenly. He looks up at me.

"You know. My parents found some jobs that they liked here… and well, we really wanted to be closer to our family and stuff," he shrugs.

"Oh. That's it?" I ask, tilting my head. He looks down and pauses for a moment.

"Well, I mean… you know how some of those kids were back then. Calling me shota and all," he admits. We both fall silent.

"Right. Um, I-I never thought you were a shota… at all," I mumble.

"Y-You didn't?" he asks, pushing his bangs from his eyes. "I-I mean… Everyone else did. I guess it was kind of stupid though," he shrugs.

"Yeah," I agree softly.

"Hey, Miku," he says, changing the subject, "So who are you hanging out with now?" he asks.

"Oh, mostly Luka Megurine, Gumi Megpoid, and Rin Kagamine," I tell him.

"Ah, I remember them," he laughs, shaking his head. I can't help but catch onto his smile warmly. "Especially that Rin girl, you can't ever forget her. Jeez," he adds, his eyes widening from the memories. I giggle in response. "So, Miku, do you have a boyfriend, now?" he asks, raising his eyebrows slightly. His eyes gaze into mine. Those eyes…

"N-No, not really," I say. Something comes across his features… a light blush, possibly? He holds my stare, and suddenly, I'm finding myself unable to look away. _Come on, Miku_. "I… What about you?" I stutter.

"Huh?" he asks.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Used to," he replies simply, "We just broke up."

"Oh, that's too bad," I say. He shrugs with a light nod of his head. "What was she like?" I ask suddenly. He seems taken aback by my sudden question.

"Oh, well… she was really pretty. Um, she had long, cherry red hair, and the cutest little ahoge, and… well, she had the cutest little giggle when you told her something funny, and well, I guess I miss her a lot," Piko whispers. I follow his gaze though the window, landing on an orange tree in his backyard.

"Oh. She sounds really nice…" I murmur. "Sorry," I apologize looking down.

"N-No… It's okay. Um, I guess it's nice being able to talk about it with someone," he admits, offering me a convincing smile. However, this one looks so… genuine, as if he's the luckiest guy in the world just to be talking to me…

"Piko," I say hurriedly, realizing what this could mean. _Piko likes you. All these years he's liked you. That's why he gave _you _that necklace. That's also probably why he broke up with that red-head girl. _

"Yes?" he asks attentively. _Gah, I can't ask him if he likes me._

"Um, n-never mind," I mumble, trying to hide my hurt expression. _How am I going to respond when he tells me himself? What kind of person would I be to say no?_

"You sure?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing. His expression drops the slightest bit. _What about Kaito? If Piko sees you with Kaito, he'll-_

"No, it's just, I've gotta go now," I hastily say, pushing the thoughts away. I stand up from the table and rush to the door.

"Alright," he shrugs, standing up as well. Right when my fingers touch the doorknob, he clears his throat. "Hey can I at least have a hug after all these years?" he chuckles. I roll my eyes and smile.

Rushing back into the mudroom, I start to wrap my arms around him, but I'm surprised to feel him hug me first. We seem to fit comfortably into each other… Almost perfectly. I'm also surprised to feel his grip is… so much stronger than when we were kids. I still remember the little white dress he used to run around in all the time… I can't help but blush as the memory returns to me. Luckily, he probably can't see it, as my face is buried into his solid chest. He suddenly breaks away.

"M-Miku, I've gotta tell you something," he says with a shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck quietly. My eyes widen in shock as I realize what this must mean. _Miku, he's going to confess to you. You'd better leave now._

"Wait, Piko…" I mumble. Suddenly, the door swings open, scaring the leeks out of both of us. I stumble back in shock as I see Kaito staring at us both in fear.

"Miku! This is important! All of your vacation money has been…. Stolen!"

* * *

**Hehe... I like this chapter. 'Nuff said.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Miku

**Chapter Twelve**

**-Miku-**

"Miku! This is important! All of your vacation money has been… Stolen!" Kaito shouts in between hoarse breaths. I let out a shocked gasp as he stops in the doorway to catch his breath. I can suddenly feel Piko's hand supportively on my shoulder. His firm grip sends a chilled rush throughout my body.

"Miku, you'd better go, this sounds really bad. We'll talk later, 'kay?" he tells me, his fingers finding their way into my hair, intertwining through the teal long strands that fall delicately around my shoulders, tied up into two twin tails. I nod my head, secretly shocked by the unexpected touch.

"Miku, what are you doing with… P-Piko Utatane?" Kaito asks. _Uh-oh. He thinks we're dating or something. I'd better fix this._

"Nothing, I'll explain later, just tell me about the money!" I shout. Piko lets go of me, eyeing Kaito. I swallow deeply as I see that Kaito returns the look with a fiery glare that sort of frightens me. I've never seen Kaito go as far as even frowning at anyone.

"Luka really wants to talk to you about this. She said that her money was gone from her suitcase. When Rin and Gumi checked theirs, they saw that they didn't have any money either, they started freaking out. Now, they want you to come home right away and check yours. It's extremely important," Kaito says with wide eyes, clenching his fists together.

"Oh my gosh," I mutter, "This is impossible. We couldn't have been pickpocketed… Who would do that?" I ask, my eyebrows narrowing in confusion.

"I don't know. I only know what they told me. They're kind of freaking out right now, and they need you to be home so that they can come up with a plan. I'm also assuming that you guys can't just leave now, since changing the plane flight date would cost tons of money," he sighs, shaking his head worriedly. He brings his head up to his forehead in stress. "Oh, Miku, I just hope you guys will be okay," he sighs. I gulp for what seems to be the tenth time.

"Um, Piko, I really should be going now. My friends need me," I say, touching his shoulder lightly as our lips curve down into a frown.

"I understand. Come by and visit me any time. I'll always be willing to lend you guys some money, as long as you need it," he offers, with a smile that makes me feel as if I can really trust him… _No Miku, you can't be thinking like this!_

"Alright, Piko. I can't even say how much I appreciate it," I say, closing my eyes softly as my shoulders sink into sadness.

"Yeah," he whispers, holding my stare as I fall into the infinite depth of his eyes… one being emerald, and the other one being inexplicably azure. Our daze is broken by the sound of Kaito clearing his throat impatiently.

"Miku, do you want to help your friends or not?" he asks, craning his neck toward me irritably.

"Yeah, sorry Kaito," I say, tugging on the bottom of my dress as I follow him out of the door. "See you later, Piko-san," I say, not even bothering to look back.

_Back there… What had just happened? _I ask myself, trying to make sense of the situation. _I just talked to someone who I hadn't even seen in years… And now he's incredibly different than he was before, _I think, following behind Kaito as he trudges furiously across Piko's yard. _He's stronger… Physically… and socially… before, he didn't even have the nerve to talk to me… Except for that one day when he gave me the necklace… I guess one sentence was all I was ever able to get out of him…_

_ He gave _you _that necklace, _a part of me reminds me, not allowing me to forget. _He loves you, Miku, _the voice concludes. I take a deep breath as we begin walking onto the pathway of our house. I shove the thoughts away, stepping on each one as I make my way up the porch steps. Kaito knocks on the door.

"Alright, they should answer. I've gotta get back to my house. We're just down the street, if you need to talk with either me or Len," he offers with a sigh. He seems to be a little bit calmer, which relieves me.

"Thank you Kaito," I say, waiting outside the door for someone to answer. I watch him walk off, leaving me alone in front of the big, closed door. The wind circles around me, picking up my hair and carrying it along with it.

Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing Luka, who has a red face stricken with uneasiness and stress. "Oh, Miku, I'm so glad you're back," she says, taking my hand and lightly pulling me into the house. "This is terrible. Did Kaito tell you?" she asks as I take off my shoes.

"Yeah," I reply.

"We need to think of a way to fix this. Rin and Gumi are upstairs. Here, come with me. We'll explain to you every last detail of how this happened," she sighs as I follow her up the steps. "Don't bother unpacking. We might not be able to stay."

Could it really be that bad? So bad that we can't even celebrate in Paris?

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter is so short. Kaito is getting jelly... Piko is getting protective... Miku is getting stressed... This probably won't end well (I mean, of course it will, but there's no way it's going to be sunshine and rainbows in the next chapters, if you get what I'm sayin'). Okay, so I'm planning for the characters and their pairings to link and connect with each other a little bit more... Like, Rin and Len have a little secret that neither of them even knows about (Remember Oliver on the airplane... *hint hint*). Wow, I give spoilers too often. Gumi still has to get introduced to Piko, and Luka still has to... well, that'll be the next chapter when they figure out the details of their plan.**

**Happy new years! 2014 :)**


	13. Chapter 13 - Luka

**Chapter Thirteen**

**-Luka-**

"Okay, we really need to solve this," I say, collapsing on the bed. Gah, I am _so_ tired suddenly.

"My parents are going to kill me," Rin growls, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, let's not think of things like that," I reform her, "Instead, let's think of a plan. We need a way to somehow make up the money," I suggest. Gumi perks up a little.

"We could all get jobs," she suggests.

"Yeah, but that takes time," I tell her, biting the edge of my lip.

"We could all do neighborhood work," Rin mumbles, pulling her skirt down.

"Neighborhood work? Like… Mowing lawns and stuff?" I ask.

"Like… Mowing lawns and stuff," Rin repeats with a nod. I stretch my face and look down.

"That won't get us nearly the amount of money that we need," I tell her. There's a strange silence. For some reason, it's filled with sadness, but a sense of… hope? Suddenly, we all turn to Miku.

"What?" she nearly whispers, "Why are you guys looking at me?"

"Anything, Miku?" I ask urgently, "Do you have _any _ideas?" She looks down and takes a moment to think. Rin, Gumi, and I suddenly all watch together as a thought seems to come across her face.

"I-I was talking to… Piko Utatane earlier. Do you guys remember him?" she asks, looking up.

Piko Utatane… The name seems familiar… That's right. He was the one kid who everyone called "shota". Now I remember why… He always wore that white dress to school. Whenever someone questioned it… he always argued that it was a tunic. I also remember his strange multicolored eyes. Yeah, that's him.

"Yeah," Gumi, Rin, and I all reply in sync. Miku tries a light smile.

"Well, I was at his house when Kaito came over and told me about the money problem. He kind of overheard, and well… He said that he'd be willing to lend us some money as long as we need it," Miku finishes quietly.

"But, just taking money from Piko would be so… I feel bad," I mumble.

"What about Len and Kaito?" Rin asks.

"Yeah," Gumi agrees with a chuckle, "Let's take money from them too!"

"Guys, we're being serious," I correct them. Suddenly, a thought comes across my mind. "Wait! How are we going to pay off the cost of this house?" I ask.

"What do you mean? You have to keep on paying?" Miku asks.

"Every three days that we continue living in it," I reply.

"Is it expensive?" she questions me fearfully.

"Very," I answer grimly.

"Then it's easy," Rin tells me. We all suddenly look at her in anticipation. "We stop living in it," she tells me.

"And then what? Live on the streets for Miku's birthday?" Gumi shouts, "No way!"

"That's not what I'm saying," Rin calms her, "We split up. Luka and I can live in Kaito and Len's house, where Miku and Gumi can live with Piko for the rest of the vacation." We all sit in silence as the idea sinks in.

"Rin, that's brilliant!" I smile.

"Yeah, you're a lot smarter than people give you credit for. Really," Gumi nods, checking her nails. Rin puts her hands on her hips.

"What? You think I'm stupid?" she argues.

"Nope, you're just always so stubborn," Gumi laughs. Rin rolls her eyes.

"You think that could work," Miku asks worriedly. "I mean, we'd have to get permission from them and stuff, but…"

"I'm sure that my Lenny would let me stay," Rin laughs.

"Len and Kaito really need someone to keep them in order," I shrug.

"Getting to see Piko Utatane after this long? Priceless," Gumi cackles, "I mean, seriously! A _teenage _shota! It'll be hilarious to see him in that dress again!"

"Um, Gumi, you might want to rethink that before you expect that," Miku answers, finally letting out a laugh. Gumi furrows her eyebrows. "Let's just say… he looks different now…" Miku trails off, a playful look in her eye.

"W-Whatddya mean, _different_?" Gumi mumbles, crossing her arms.

"Like… I would call him hot, but…" Miku shrugs with a laugh.

"But _what?_" Gumi demands.

"But everyone knows that she's into Kaito," Rin interrupts in a singsong voice, tracing a heart in the air with her fingertips. Miku's eyes widen in shock.

"What? How does that make any sense?" I ask.

"It's not right to deny it," Rin giggles, "Besides, the sooner you admit it, the sooner I can get to work on the dress that he's going to love you in."

"Hey, that's _my _line," I roar. Rin laughs even harder as I shoot her a look. As the laughter finally dies down, I clear my throat.

"Alright, do you all think that this makes enough sense? Alright, the plan is share houses with the guys- Miku and Gumi with Piko, and Rin and me with Kaito. That should pay of the house. Living in the same house as them, we'll share their food and things like that, so we'll just have to make sure we're polite, okay? That should take care of food and other necessities," I report.

"But, what about the rest of our money?" Gumi asks. "Maybe we _should _get jobs, you know, just to earn back some of our own without sharing it all," she says. I nod at the suggestion.

"But… I won't have time for a job… My fashion show and all," I point out brokenly.

"Don't worry. We understand," Gumi replies quickly, "But _I, _on the other hand, have always wanted to be a babysitter," she laughs with a tilt of her head.

"A babysitter… Gross," Rin gags, "I'll just stick to neighborhood work."

"And I'll… I don't know. I've never really thought about getting a job," Miku shrugs. We all pause for a minute. "I'll go do some research and look at a couple applications in a minute," she concludes.

"Alright," I ask, "Will this be enough?" I sigh in relief as everyone nods. This had better work. Gah...

* * *

**Haha, what do you guys think about the girls moving in with the guys? This should make some more for pairings, eh? I know, I know, I still haven't gone to introducing Gakupo, but don't worry, I'm saving him for later... It'll be extra special! *Cackles evilly* Oh, poor Luka. She's going to hate being a model after he comes in...**

**Oh gosh. I'm such a sadistic writer.**

**Gumi comes up next! The chapters where they move in to the boys' houses, and where they have their first tastes at their jobs should follow, starting with Gumi. Enjoy and review please! It makes me happy to see those emails from FanFiction! :)**


	14. Chapter 14 - Gumi

**Chapter Fourteen**

**-Gumi-**

_Hmm… Piko Utatane._ I say the name over and over again in my head, trying to associate it with anything other than a dress-wearing, chipmunk-voiced shota. As Miku and I stand outside of his door with our suitcases in hand, I bite my lip in deep thought. _Piko Utatane. Not a shota. Piko Utatane… _Gah, this isn't working. I'll have to wait until he opens it. He might not even be home.

"Try it again," I suggest. Miku pushes the doorbell again. Suddenly, it opens.

In front of us stands a tall man with snowy white hair. He wears a green and blue plaid shirt and jeans. The colors of his shirt match with his eyes, which are… Wow. Amazing. Dazzling. B-Beautiful…

"Hi, Miku. Who's this?" he asks. His low, handsome voice echoes through my ears. _Oh, I'm asking the same question about you…_

"This is Gumi Megpoid," she responds cheerfully. She turns to look at me. "Gumi, this is Piko Utatane," she smiles. This _is Piko Utatane? This… non-shota? _My eyes widen in complete shock. _So this is what she meant when she said that he looked different. And here I was thinking that this was his brother or something._

"P-Piko…" I repeat clumsily, "Is it really you?" I ask. He chuckles.

"Yeah, it's really me," he replies with a smile that makes my heart flutter out of my chest. I swallow down the feeling- or at least I attempt to.

"P-Piko, you look so different…" I trail off, lost in his endless eyes… So hollow, yet so deep… They seem to be twinkling… at me? I can't help but blush as I tear from his gaze. _And to think, you'll be spending the next 10 days with him…_

"Yeah, Miku said the same thing," he chuckles, looking at her. Suddenly, he gives us a confused look. "Why are you guys holding suitcases?" he asks, tilting his head. As he does so, his long bangs fall over his stunning eyes.

"You know how Kaito told us about the whole money thing…" Miku starts, "Well, we kind of can't pay off our house anymore, and we're wondering if we move in with you for the week?" she asks. As soon as the words tumble out of her mouth, I suddenly hear how stupid the whole idea sounds. _Gosh, Rin. Why'd you do this?_

"You… want to move in with me?" Piko repeats, his features loosening.

"Please, Piko, we won't be a bother, we promise," Miku says, placing her hands pleadingly over her chest.

"It's not that that I'm worried about. I'd actually be happy to have some company," he smiles. "It's just, it's only a two-bedroom house," he shrugs.

"That's okay," I pipe in, "Can't I just share a room-"

"With me!" Miku finishes with a smile. Suddenly, I bite my lip. _That's not what I was going to say, Miku._

"I guess you could. My parents are on a business trip in England and they won't be home until a couple weeks later. Their room will be big enough for both of you, don't worry," he assures us. Miku holds her breath.

Suddenly, she collapses into Piko's arms, closing her eyes and breathing in and out heavily as she smiles. Piko looks shocked at the unexpected embrace, but then he… he _returns_ it, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist and back. _No… he can't be… Piko and Miku… they're not… together, are they? They- they can't be! Miku wouldn't do that to me… She doesn't even know that I-_

"Piko, I can't thank you enough," Miku says, breaking away. Piko still holds his hands on her shoulders affectionately as he gazes into her eyes. _Piko… no… don't fall for Miku… she doesn't return those feelings… she's in love with Kaito… oh, why won't he do that to me? _Miku's lips curve into an honest smile as Piko's eyes soften, gazing into hers. _Why won't he do that to me?_

"Don't you guys think we should probably unpack now?" I ask, shattering their emotions of adoration for each other. Piko, who realizes that he's still clutching onto Miku, slides his hands awkwardly off of her shoulders. I soon find my eyes narrowing as a sheepish blush clumsily inches its way onto his cheeks.

"R-Right," he says embarrassedly, turning around to allow us room to walk into the door. Miku and I drag our suitcases into the house and follow Piko upstairs. We make a left. "This is my parents' room. Is it big enough?" he asks. I look around at my surroundings. The bed is huge and extremely grand-looking. It should fit both Miku and I without a hint of trouble.

"Yeah," we both reply. He smiles.

"Good. If you need any closet space, they've packed pretty much everything for their business trip, so you should have enough room," he says, peering into the closet. "Yeah, looks like you should just hang up all of your clothes to the left side of the closet," he concludes, looking back at us. Miku and I both nod. "What about Luka and Rin? Where are they staying?" he asks suddenly.

"Don't worry," I say, "They're fine. They're staying with Kaito and Len." He nods with a soothing smile.

"Alright, as long as everyone's okay," he says. Suddenly, I melt.

"Oh, Piko, you're so understanding!" I smile, "Thank you so much for letting us stay here. It means so much," I say. He turns his head slightly to the left and raises his eyebrows with a grin.

"Really, it's no problem. Besides," he assures us, "It's good to have company while my parents are away. You girls can help yourself to any food or anything that you may need. The kitchen is downstairs," he adds.

"You're too kind, Piko," I smile. I can feel the warmth rushing back to my face, painting my cheeks with a pink so bright that it matches my lipstick. He gives me a nod and a smile. _He didn't look at me like he looks at Miku… face it, Miku will always be better than me, prettier than me, more talented than me…_

"I should be heading downstairs," he tells us, interrupting my thoughts. "You girls make yourselves at home," he smiles. Miku and I both nod as he exits the room and closes the door behind him. I wait until I hear the bottom stair creaking with the weight of his foot.

"Isn't he the best?" I ask, smiling dumbly.

"Oh, Gumi… you're not in love, are you?" Miku asks with a giggle. I look up.

"You two are dating, aren't you?" I whisper in a cracked, heavy monotone voice, not sure how to respond. Her eyes widen.

"What? No, I don't even like him like that," she says, furrowing her eyebrows as she holds up her hands defensively. I breathe a sigh of relief. "So you _do _like him," she laughs suddenly. This time, it's my turn to widen my eyes.

"What? Okay, fine. I really do… But I don't think he feels the same way," I admit. Suddenly, Miku gets this expression on her face as if she's seen a ghost. "Miku? Are you okay?" I ask, trying to catch her attention again. Suddenly, she snaps back to normal. "Six seconds," I report as she sighs. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"I just think… never mind. Maybe I should go and look for a job?" she asks unsurely. I raise my eyebrow. _Something's definitely up. I'll have to see later._

"You might want to get a job in the mall here," I suggest. She nods her head and thanks me. Suddenly, I begin thinking about my own job. _Babysitting. _Can I actually pull this off? Well, it couldn't hurt to get a little help from someone who just _happened _to insult the idea… Suddenly, a grin sneaks on to my face. _Hehe…_

* * *

**Uh-oh. Everybody knows that when Gumi does that little "hehe" cackle of hers, nothing ends up well...**


	15. Chapter 15 - Rin

**Chapter Fifteen**

**-Rin-**

"So you want _me _to help you babysit?" I ask Gumi, my eyes boring disdainfully into hers.

"Do you want money… or not?" she asks deviously. I swear, I can hear her cackle. "I mean, look Rin. Who exactly are you going to do neighborhood work for? You don't know anyone except Kaito and Len, and of course there's Piko… but I mean, his house looked pretty neat, and his grass is cut pretty nicely," she says, examining her nails.

"Fine," I growl. She looks up at me suddenly.

"Wait, seriously? That's all it took?" she asks, tilting her head. I roll my eyes.

"This is only to pay off this vacation, okay. Oh, and by the way, if we get any little, little kids, I'm not _touching _any diapers," I warn, raising a finger.

"Fine. I'll handle the little kids," she agrees, not wanting to pick a fight. _Smart, Gumi, smart… _"But look, I've already talked to this nice lady a couple minutes down the street and she's already looking for someone to babysit her son. I would tell you his name, but I kind of forgot it," she shrugs.

"That's helpful," I retort, staring out the window at the yellow bird that flies by.

"What?" she frowns, "Sorry. You know Rin, lighten up. Something tells me that you're not going to be very good around kids if you keep up with that attitude of yours," she warns in a singsong voice. I narrow my eyes.

"Fine, jeez," I mutter. But she's right. Kids don't like me. I guess it's all good though, since I don't like kids either. I have no idea why I even agreed to this job. "Can we just go to this person's house already?" I ask.

"Come on Rin, the lady needs us over there at seven, not _now. _We've still got a while to wait," Gumi says.

"Yeah, yeah," I growl, "Just call me when it's time."

As soon as we get to the house, Gumi is the first to get out of the car. "Alright," she smiles, "Rin, you'd better not get us in trouble." I roll my eyes as Gumi presses the doorbell. I tap my foot as we wait.

Suddenly, the door swings open and a woman who looks to be in her thirties appears. She smiles as she sees us. "Hello, which one of you ladies is Gumi Megpoid?" she asks, eyeing both of us. Gumi steps out.

"Hello. That would be me," she grins, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. The woman's face (I must admit, she looks quite lovely with her kind, soft face and beautiful blonde curly hair) breaks out into a smile, revealing her sparkling white teeth.

"And you must be…" she asks me.

"Hi. I'm Rin Kagamine," I reply.

Suddenly, she inhales with a piercing, choked gasp. She begins breathing incredibly heavily as her blue eyes widen as she shakes her head in disbelief. She grasps onto the walls around the doorway in support as she begins to lose her balance. "R-Rin… Kagamine?" she asks in a torn voice. She clutches her neck right under her throat, making an attempt to steady herself.

"I'm sorry, a-are you okay, ma'am?" I ask, my lips parting in fear.

"Rilliane Rose Kagamine … Do you remember me?" she asks, holding her breath. I take a step back.

"H-How do you know my full name… ma'am…?" I ask suddenly, gasping unsurely, part of me wanting to ask more. She hesitates.

"Don't bother with ma'am. Call me mom, if you will. Here, come in, there's a lot we need to explain," she sighs, asking me to follow her in. "I think your father and I should probably just cancel our movie," she says, shaking her head. "Gumi, I think it'd be best if you were to go home," she sighs, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nods awkwardly, exiting out of the door.

I follow the strange woman into the living room. _What does she mean, she's my mother? My _real _mother is doing just fine raising me. And sure, this strange woman looks a lot like me, but that doesn't mean we're related in any way! But… she did know my full name… _so what! _She could easily be some creepy stalker._

"Rin, come meet your brother," she says, directing me into the living room. Sitting on the couch is a small boy who faces away from me. He has short blonde hair like mine. As he turns around, I stumble back in horror as I realize something-

Wrapped over his left eye is a pair of bandages… bloodstained… hiding his face… His shock-stricken face…

"You…" I gasp hoarsely, "It's _you! _The kid who was kicking my seat on the airplane," I suddenly say, biting my lip to prevent any outbursts. His eyes widen. Suddenly, I turn to the woman. "You mean _this _baka is spose'd to be my brother?" I shout, clenching my fists.

"Rin… I know this is a lot to take in," says the woman.

"Look, how do I know this isn't all just some lie?" I cry, narrowing my eyes, "You're not even my mother! I have two perfectly good parents sitting at home right at this very moment!"

"Rei and Rui Kagamine," the woman starts, "Are not your birth parents. Allen and I are," she tells me, "Here, have a seat." I sit down, following her command quietly. _How does she know this…? She's not my real mother, _I tell myself. "Allen!" she calls up the stairs. I hear footsteps come rushing down as a large man walks quickly into the room. The little boy with the bandages turns around and turns off the television as I sit in silence.

"You called me… Allen," he says, fixing his ruffled brown hair.

"I know. This is important," she says, in between clenched teeth. "Rin Kagamine is here," says the woman.

"Ann…" the man gasps, eyeing me in horror. "You mean… you _brought _her here?" he shouts.

"No, she showed up on her own, Al!" replies Ann hastily, sitting down next to me. "Now please show her some comfort. She's probably really confused."

"How much did you tell her?" Al asks, crossing his arms and sitting down on the couch across from Ann and me.

"I just want to know how I ended up like this! With different parents… and things like that!" I glare, shaking my head, still not understanding of the entire situation. It only comes together as a jumble of ideas in my head- irrational.

"Well," Al starts, "I guess it started when Ann and I met in college. We fell in love the moment we laid eyes on each other," he says, his eyes sparkling as he looks into hers.

"But… I guess my father didn't like Al, and well… I was forced to marry someone else… Leon," Ann shudders between clenched teeth. "Leon and I… only wanted _one _child, but it turned out… Rin, you were born in a pair of twins," she tells me. "We knew that we couldn't handle both of you at once, with the money that we had, and well…" she trails off. "We couldn't choose just one of you to pick, and so we put both of you up to adoption," she finishes quietly, not meeting my eyes.

"I-I was a… twin?" I ask. "What's that supposed to mean?" I whisper, my eyes wide at the sudden thought.

"Well, you were born Rilliane Rose Adams. Your twin brother was Allen Carter Adams Jr.," she tells me.

"W-Was…?" I ask quietly.

"Well, I guess it would be _is_, still, right Ann?" asks Al. I sigh in relief. "He's still alive and well, or at least… we think he is… we haven't really been keeping in contact with you two… it's just been too hard to think about… how it would change your lives," he says, resting his face in his palm.

"Well, like I was saying," Ann says, "We couldn't keep both of you, and so we put you two up for adoption," she says, her voice cracking as her blue eyes fill with sadness, "So, we um… we shortened your names to Rin and Len… to make you guys seem more casual and appealing, and well…"

"Excuse me?" I cut her off with a gasp, "You said Rin… and _Len_?" I ask. She nods her head. "Len… I–I know him! L-Len Kagamine…" I whisper, standing up. Ann places a hand on my shoulder, motioning for me to sit down.

"You do?" asks Al, leaning forward. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah… But he won't be after I tell him… Ann, what happened next?" I ask. _Why do we have the same last names now… Why aren't we still twins?_

"Well, it turns out, you two were adopted separately. You were adopted by your current parents, Rei and Rui. I guess it turned out okay, though, because Rei's brother and his wife decided to adopt Len," she informs me.

"So… that makes Len and me… cousins now?" I ask, piecing together her information. "But… if you supposedly didn't have enough money to raise both Len and I, then why is that kid here?" I demand, pointing to the boy with the bandages.

"Well, Leon and I didn't really think that things were working out between us… and we divorced. So, I talked to my father, and he agreed to let me marry Al," she answers, her lips curving into a smile toward Al across from us. "We both had enough money to raise another kid, and… that's Oliver," she answers. I swallow.

"So… you two are my birth parents… and Oliver… is my brother… and Len Kagamine… is my twin, a-and…" I repeat as they nod slowly after each fragment. _Len Kagamine… is my twin brother, _I repeat in my head. _Twin brother… Len… Kagamine… _Suddenly, my eyes widen as I realize the one thing that tears my heart into shreds. _Rin… you can't love him. It's not right… You have to tell him… Now. _

* * *

**Ah~, poor Rin. So... she finally found out the truth. If you were Rin, would you believe it even after this long? Quote time! "But... if you supposedly didn't have enough money to raise both Len and I, then why is that kid here?" - Rin**

**I really liked writing this chapter (haha, I probably had more fun writing it than you did reading it). Just to clear things up a little just in case it might have confused you:**

**Rin: well, Rin  
Sweet Ann: Rin's birth mother  
Big Al: Rin's birth father after re-marriage  
Leon: Rin's birth father before re-marriage  
Len: Rin's twin brother from birth, and cousin from adoption  
Oliver: Rin's younger brother from birth after re-marriage  
Rei: Rin's father since adoption  
Rui: Rin's mother since adoption  
Rinto: Len's father since adoption  
Lenka: Len's mother since adoption  
Ashrox37: An awesome writer, eh? Nah, just kidding :P**


	16. Chapter 16 - Miku

**Chapter Sixteen**

**-Miku-**

I had just told Gumi I would be looking for jobs… and now I'm having no luck. Perfect. I have no idea how to even search for a job, let alone do one. Why must some things be so complicated? I've already been searching throughout newspapers and searched online, but nothing seemed to interest me. I shudder as I imagine myself in a plumber's suit.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on the bedroom door. "Come in," I mumble, my head falling into my arms in exhausted defeat. I listen in silence as the door opens.

"Miku? Are you okay?" asks a deep masculine voice. _Who could… oh right. _I lift my head up to see Piko leaning in the doorway, hands in his jean pockets.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" I murmur with a sigh.

"You sure?" he asks with a tilt of his head, "You look really tired," he says.

"Yeah," I say, trying a smile as I lift up my head out of my hands. "You're right… Piko…" I say in between yawns.

"You should probably be getting some sleep. Maybe you just need a little nap," he says. By the look on his face, I can tell he's fighting back a blush. _Oh, why can't he just like Gumi… why me?_ "What even got you so tired anyway?" he asks.

"I was… searching for a job…" I mumble, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Oh, that can be tough," he says, walking into the room. "Mind if I sit down with you?" he asks. I scoot over.

"Go ahead," I reply as he sits down in the seat next to me. We're so close that our shoulders, arms and legs are touching… without a trace of space in between. He reaches in front of me to move the mouse so that the computer turns back on.

"You know," he says, suddenly stopping to turn to look at me. My eyes widen the slightest bit as I realize that our faces are only two dangerous inches apart. Sensing my discomfort, he backs up a little bit, his blush taking over. "Sorry," he whispers. We are still close enough that I can feel his breath on my lips… it's incredibly warm… _What does warm breath mean again?_ _Embarrassment? _"I was just going to suggest that you get a job at the mall," he says.

"Oh. Why didn't _I _think of that?" I ask, suddenly perking up.

"I think you'd like working in the food court. Miki had a job there once. She said she really liked it, and it made her money really fast," he tells me. I nod.

"Again, Piko, thank you so much," I smile appreciatively. He smiles back.

"Really, um, it's nothing," he stammers, trying desperately to hide his uncontrollable blush. "Look, Miku… I've really gotta tell you something," he says softly, his sweet, low voice drifting into the air. _Here it comes, Miku. Don't let him down too hard. _"Remember the time when I gave you that heart necklace?" he asks, looking down, "When we were kids?"

"Yeah, I remember it quite well, actually," I admit. A weak smile forms on his face as I pull it out from underneath my shirt. _I picked a good day to wear it._

"Look, Miku. I really, really loved you, a-and I still do," he says, finally giving into the blush. "It's just… I didn't have the courage to tell you, but now…" he smiles and looks up at me. "I do…" he says, holding my gaze as I stare back in a trance as the collection of words sink into my mind. Those eyes… _He loves you… He just admitted it. Oh, how am I gonna get out of this?_ "I guess what I'm trying to say is," he fumbles. I hold my breath in silence as I wait for his next words. "Miku, will you go out with me?" he asks me.

_Miku, will you go out with me? _The words repeat themselves over and over in my head, creating a nervous chant that pulls a bead of sweat down my forehead as I am swallowed into thought. _Gah… I feel guilty. And Kaito… What about Kaito? And Gumi… What about Gumi? You can't say yes… But you can't say no… Don't ask for time to think about it, either… You'll just worry him and it'll sound like you're blowing him off… don't say yes, don't say no… Kaito… Gumi…_

"P-Piko…" I mumble, stumbling over the one word that manages to escape. His expression suddenly falls as I close my eyes for a moment that seems to last forever. _He just got over a break-up… he needs someone… All his life, he's been rejected… called a shota… pushed around… bullied… lonely… I won't ever live this down if I say no… It'll haunt me for the rest of my life._

"P-Piko…" I try again, not able to say anything else. _Gumi will hate you. You'll miss your chance to be with Kaito. _I shove the thoughts away. _Just this once… It doesn't have to last forever… You can leave him just like Miki did… _The thoughts tangle throughout my mind. _Just like his fingers that ran through my hair the day that Kaito told me about the money…_ _the money that had been taken from me… The money that Piko had so kindly offered to replace with his own… So kind… Loving… He loves you, Miku. Give him a chance._

"I-I'd…" I stammer, struggling to look happy, "I'd love to, Piko," I say. Suddenly, my face breaks into a smile, matching his. The only thing about this smile, though, is that it seems so… real. _Why is my smile so real? I'm not actually in love with Piko Utatane, am I? I can't possibly be… It would break the hearts of so many around me…_

Suddenly, I feel Piko's strong arms wrapping around me- one behind my back, and the other around my waist. He pulls me closer to him… so close that my cheek is pressed against his chest. It's not long before I begin to lose track of where my body stops and his begins. His firm grasp… makes me feel so… _safe. _I close my eyes as complete peace falls over us like a blanket. The sweet scent of his snowy white hair fills the air as my worries die out. _Forget Gumi… forget Kaito… this is all you need right now. _I smile as I feel the rest of the world fading away…

Suddenly, he breaks away, his warm eyes gazing into mine with a look of affection. His shoulders sink suddenly. _I'm not actually in love with Piko Utatane, am I? Remember Gumi? Remember Kaito?_

"Miku… A-Are you okay? Y-You look…" he trails off, searching for a word. "Hesitant," he finishes quietly.

"No," I push the feelings away, putting on an assuring look, "I'm fine, Piko," I try to convince him.

"Really?" he asks, still unsure. Suddenly, his features loosen as a crestfallen look brushes across his face. "T-This isn't what you want… is it?" he asks.

"No, Piko, I'm fine," I lie, placing a hand on his shoulder. I refuse to meet his eyes. _You can't do this Miku…_

"Miku, if you don't want this…" he starts. I look up at him in shock that he's still continuing. "Look, I could always just… hide my feelings for you," he offers, "If that's what'll make you comfortable while you stay here." _That's right. I'll only be with him for nine more days after this._ Something about his words tears me… _Why would he do that? Hide his feelings… just for me?_

"Piko… You don't have to do that… It'll only make things harder on you," I start quietly, finally looking at him.

"Miku, I don't want things to be hard on _you_," he says, his eyes empty.

"Piko…" I start.

"Just tell me," he says, "How you feel, okay? I promise I'll understand." I look up. _He wants to know how I feel. He'll try to understand. I should tell him about Kaito. I should tell him about Gumi. I should tell him everything…_

"I would… but I don't understand anything myself," I whisper, more to myself than to him. He tilts his head.

"Then, how about I ask you?" he suggests. I look up at the idea. _Of course. This way, he'll get every drop of information out of me. Gah… What do I say? _"Miku, how do you feel about me?" he asks. _Oh, this is awkward._

"I… I'm not sure, Piko," I answer lifelessly. His features relax upon hearing my words. They don't relax in peace… but in sadness. He closes his eyes for a second and nods his head.

"It's okay. I understand," he whispers, standing up from the table. "It's fine if you don't feel the same way."

"Piko… wait," I say worriedly. He turns around to look at me. "I-I'm… sorry," I finally say, unable to speak anything else. Suddenly, the door opens and Gumi looks at both of us in confusion.

"Miku? P-Piko?" she asks, her eyes widening as she stands in the doorway, clutching the handle.

"Gumi, you're back from babysitting already?" I ask, "It's only seven-thirty."

"Yeah, Rin had some… uh… business to take care of, so I left it to her," Gumi stumbles, playing with her fingers.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" I ask, standing up.

"She's fine, don't worry," Gumi says with a shrug. I raise my eyebrow. What was she thinking, leaving Rin alone with a poor, defenseless little kid? "I just dropped by to say that I'll be at the mall later," she says, closing the door behind her.

"What was that about?" Piko asks. I shrug, shaking my head. "Well, look, about your job… Where do you think you could get a job in the mall?" he asks.

"Piko…You don't have to do this…" I sigh limply.

"Look, Miku. You've been searching for hours already. I just want to help," he replies, pushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Where did Miki have her job?" I ask, tilting my head.

"The bakery in the food court," he replies.

"I guess I'll see if I can get any luck there," I say, a smile starting to appear on my face at the idea.

"You haven't even seen the malls here. They're huge. I might want to show you around first. It would probably help with your work a bit more if you're not late every day looking for it," he grins.

"Like, a-as a date?" I ask timidly, twirling a strand of my twin tail.

"No… unless you want it to be," he says, although it comes out sounding more like a question. A heated blush quickly rises on his cheeks.

"Oh," I say, finding the same blush on me, "I-I'd… yeah," I stammer. _Why can't I talk so suddenly? Is this how he feels around me all the time? _Soon, a clumsy grin curves onto my face. _Why won't it go away?_

"Great," he smiles with a tilt of his head. "How about we go now?" he asks.

"S-Sure," I reply, walking up to him. He opens the door for me and follows me downstairs. I put on my leather boots that Luka had told me to pack. "Wait, since we're going to the mall, let me bring money," I say mindlessly. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks. "Oh, wait…" I trail off, "That was really silly of me, wasn't it?"

Piko chuckles awkwardly. "Don't worry. I'll pay for everything. Since we'll be at the food court, just order whatever you want," he offers. I smile.

"Y-You don't have to… honestly," I stammer, blushing. _Why is this happening to me still? I thought I didn't-_

"Well, this _is _a date, isn't it?" he asks, winking at me. Those eyes…

"I guess you're right," I smile, looking down. He chuckles again._ Why? Why? Why?! WHY?! Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!_

* * *

By the time we get to the mall, the place is so crowded that I can hardly see anything but eager faces and shopping bags. As we walk across the shiny wooden floor, making our way through the dense crowd, I find Piko's hand slipping into mine. I look around at the high domed glass ceiling. This place is so nice! Why can't we have malls like this one where I live?

"Food court is this way," Piko says, nudging his head to the left as we turn. His steady hand still secures mine as we continue walking. As we make our way into the food court, I am surprised to see the enormous selection. It seems to be equally as crowded. Over all the people, I spot the bakery sign to the far left.

"Is that it?" I ask, pointing with my free hand. He nods.

"Yeah. We can go get something there if you want," he smiles. "You can get used to the menu. Miki and I went there all the time after she quit working there. _Gah, I seriously wish he would stop bringing up Miki._ I nod uncomfortably.

He walks with me over to the bakery, where I wait in the long line behind the counter. I squint at the menu. Everything from coffee to… carrot cake. Aw, man. Gumi would _love _this. Suddenly, the word macaron catches my eye. I've heard of these… but I've never gotten to try one!

When the line cycles around and we are brought to the front of it, I tug lightly on Piko's sleeve. "Can I get a macaron?" I ask him, looking up.

"Just one?" he chuckles. "Usually they come in little pastry bags of three," he explains. I shrug and listen as he orders confidently. We wait a couple seconds for the cookies to come back. The woman behind the counter hands us a semi-transparent white bag with. I watch as Piko pays. _Oh gosh, now I feel so guilty… I just took his house and his money… And in return I won't even tell him the truth? _

"Can I carry the bag?" I ask as we walk back to the tables.

"Sure," he smiles, passing it to me. I carry it until we sit down at a small table made for two people. I place the bag on the table and open it up, taking out the first macaron.

"Oh my gosh!" I say, holding the pastry out in front of me, "They look just like cute little sandwich-cookies!" Piko chuckles and shakes his head.

"And look what color yours is," he laughs. Sure enough, it's teal- and it matches my hair perfectly. He takes out one of his own.

"But look at which color yours is," I say, pointing to his white one. He widens his eyes and laughs.

"That's… weird," he says. "Well, are you going to eat yours?" I take a bite of my teal macaron. Oh, my gosh… it's so good. The vanilla cream inside of the cookie melts onto my tongue as it dissolves into my mouth.

"Piko…" I sigh, "They're so good," I laugh, finishing off the last of it in one big bite.

"Are you enjoying your time in Paris?" he asks, smiling. Suddenly, I pause. _It was my friends who decided to bring me here. I should be spending time with them, not with Piko. Gah, but this is only for tonight. I'll be home in time for Gumi later. We might even visit Rin and Luka. Right now, Piko is what matters._

"Yes," I reply simply with a smile, looking into his eyes... "Look, Piko… I have to tell you something."

* * *

**Ahh~, our little Miku is finally falling for Piko... maybe? Apparently, she can't really sort out her thoughts right now, and well, I'm still in my pajamas, so... Here you are with another cliffy!**

**Quote Time! "Just tell me how you feel, okay? I promise I'll understand." - Piko**

**So kawaii, I know. ;) Next up is Gumi's chapter. I realize I haven't really gotten to Luka yet, but don't worry. My main focus here is to drop parts of the story without the extra long breaks, unless it's something big like Rin's chapter. That's why I'm saving Rin and Luka's next chapters until a while. For those of you waiting for Gakupo to come in, sit tight! :)**


	17. Chapter 17 - Gumi

**Chapter Seventeen**

**-Gumi-**

"Look, Piko… I have to tell you something," Miku smiles, twirling her hair with the tip of her finger. My eyes widen in shock. _She's not going to… she can't! She wouldn't do that to her best friend! No way!_

"Yeah?" Piko asks, leaning in so that their faces are closer. I narrow my eyes. _Piko! Why?! Why are you so dense? Why can't you realize that I want to be with you more than she does?! _I scream in my head.

"You've been… really supportive lately, and I just really want to thank you so much. I'm sure that Gumi feels the same way," she smiles. _You have no idea, traitor. _

"You really mean it?" Piko asks. "You're not just saying that, are you?" he asks, only for Miku's eyes to widen.

"No, I'm being completely serious," she says, smiling like an idiot. "Piko, you're just so… understanding," she mumbles, blushing. _Not to me. He won't even go as far as listen to me. I can't believe Miku is hanging out with this baka. This beautiful… perfect baka._

Alright. Maybe I should explain this a little bit. Remember when I dropped in our room and told Miku I was going to be at the mall later? Well, here I am. I knew something was up when I saw Miku and Piko together in our room, but I didn't dare question it in front of him. And here they are, sitting literally right in front of me as Miku steals him away from me, speaking each flirty word one by one.

There's no way that they know who I am. I just went past every store in this mall and came out with something new to change into so I could look as hidden as possible as soon as I saw Miku and Piko together. Right now, I'm in a baggy black sweater (You've probably figured out that I like sweaters by now, haven't you?), a pair of extremely unflattering pink sweatpants (I never wear sweatpants. Ever.) and a pair of jogging shoes (which would only ever be seen on Rin). Around my neck is a purple scarf (I hate purple), and my green hair is swept up into a grey knit hat (which is unfortunately quite cute), and I dark pair of shades to hide my face (Using Piko's money, of course). So I don't attract any attention, in front of me sits a chocolate croissant. I can't push myself to eat it though… Miku and Piko are too distracting… However, I don't mind one bit- as long as I can hear their every word.

"Miku," Piko says shyly, "Look, about earlier, when I um, asked you out?" he asks, looking up into her eyes through his silky white bangs. _He asked her out. I was right- they were doing something… What did she say back to him? _I hold my breath, only allowing a sharp gasp to escape my lips as I squint, wanting to know every last word.

"Yeah…" Miku trails off quietly.

"Did you really mean it when you said yes?" he asks.

"I… Piko, it's just…" she starts, unable to finish her sentence. His face falls as she timidly presses her fingers together. _It's just what? She's going to talk about me, isn't she?_

"Is it… that we'll only be seeing each other for ten days?" he asks, trying to finish for her. She hesitates and nods her head.

"Y-Yeah, that's it," she replies, dropping her hands. _Does Piko even realize that I like him? _

"Oh," he whispers, his expression falling, "I don't know what to say." _You might not, but I sure do. _

"P-Piko, I think we should be going home," Miku says, "Gumi will be there all alone." _Oh, gosh. I'd better leave now._

"Didn't she say that she'd be at the mall?" Piko asks. _Thank you Piko, you just practically saved my life. _"We can stay for a couple more minutes," he says. "Unless… you _want _to leave," he adds, a concerned look falling over his face.

"Actually… yeah," Miku says, startling Piko. "Look, I'm really tired," she says.

"Oh, right," Piko mumbles, standing up. I stand up discreetly as well, pulling my knit hat farther down as I push the stray curls of green hair back in. I duck over behind a nearby trash can, hoping they won't see me before I get home. Unfortunately, Piko and Miku both walk over to my hiding place and throw their empty pastry bag inside. _Gross._

"Thanks for taking me out, Piko," Miku says as I watch from behind.

"It's okay. You don't need to thank me. I-I should be thanking you," he says, a blush forming on his face as he clumsily rubs the back of his neck.

"M-Me?" Miku asks, placing a hand over her chest. "What did I do?"

"You told me how you really felt," he says. Suddenly, Miku's expression runs cold, almost as if fear has fallen over her. _What is she thinking? Did she hurt my Piko? Why does she look so… guilty all of a sudden?_

"I… did?" she asks, chuckling nervously.

"You… didn't?" he asks her, turning his head to look at her. "I-I thought…"

"Oh gosh… Piko," she says, her tone suddenly serious, "I can't do this anymore!" Piko widens his eyes. "Look, this whole time… I just feel like I've been _using_ you," she cries as they stop walking and turn to face each other in the sea of people. I stop walking as well as I lean against the mall directory by the exit, trying my hardest to blend in. I watch in horror as Piko suddenly slips his hands into hers.

"You haven't been using me…" he starts, staring intently into her eyes.

"No, Piko… I've been taking money from you, and I haven't even thought of doing anything in return. I feel terrible," she says, clutching onto his shoulder. _That should be me…_

"Don't feel terrible. You don't need to do anything for me. Just having you here with me is enough," he smiles, taking her tiny hand into his own and placing it to his chest. _Gah! Why can't he be sappy like that with me?_

Suddenly, Miku looks this way. I quickly look down and whip out my white iPhone, turning around in hope that she didn't see me. I listen to their conversation. All I hear is more sappy, sentimental romance stuff that only makes me clench my firsts even tighter. _That was so, so, soooooo close._

Not wanting to get caught, I quickly stuff my cell phone into one of my many shopping bags. The sound of my footsteps is drowned out by the noise of the late-night crowd as I push myself through, emerging into darkness as I step out into the fresh air. I pause to catch my breath.

_I can't believe she would go out with Piko like this… Did she even take one pathetic second to consider my feelings? What about her beloved Kaito… Why didn't she give him a chance? _Suddenly, my eyes widen as a sly grin curls onto my lips. I can't help but let out a twisted giggle as I think about the idea…

_What better gift for a sweet, sweet sixteen is there than a little taste of sweet, sweet revenge? _

As soon as I pull up at my house, I rush as fast as I can, hoping that Miku and Piko won't return home until I get home. Piko had given me another set of house keys so I could let myself in and out whenever I needed to. _How nice of him. _Suddenly, another thought comes across my mind- _I'm hurting him. By hurting the one he loves, you're hurting him…_

_ Gah~, there's no time to weaken up now!_

I quickly throw off my clothes and switch into a more silly and casual outfit- without sweatpants, of course. Now, I am wearing ripped jean shorts, with the pockets hanging out from below the bottom hem. Over that is an off-white tank with a black design of the Eiffel tower on it. On my wrists, I wear a collection of gold bangle bracelets, and climbing up my calves is a tall pair of multicolor green argyle socks to match my nails and hair.

I throw on my leather boots and dash straight to the door to get to the other house. As soon as my fingers touch the metal doorknob, it swings open, shocking me into clumsily falling on my butt. Standing above me are Miku and Piko, who look rather surprised to see me.

"Where were you?" Miku asks with a smile, "We were just at the mall and we didn't see you! Weren't you supposed to be there?" she asks.

"Right. I was. I-I'm not really sure why you didn't see me though," I lie, "but I bought these new clothes," I say, adjusting the buckle on my right boot.

"I thought you didn't have any money," Piko points out, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll explain later," I rush, "See you!" I call, running out of the door as fast as I can. I run over the yards of grass until I reach Kaito's house, the stars above twinkling, sending me messages I cannot understand. I push the doorbell and wait, rocking on my heels in front of the door.

"Hello?" a masculine voice asks, opening the door.

"Kaito!" I say, glad to see it's him. He tilts his head.

"What's up?" he asks, "Did Miku send you here?"

"Well, actually, that's what I came to talk to you about," I respond, pressing my fingers together and avoiding his eyes. He tilts head in confusion. "Let me just put it like this, Shion. Could you help me with a little… problem I'm having?"

* * *

**Uh-oh, Gumi... What are you going to do? Hehe, just kidding. Pfft... I already know, but sorry! No spoilers this time! ;)**

**Luka's up next (+ An introduction to a special someone... *wink wink*)**

***Gasp*! I almost forgot about Quote Time: "****What better gift for a sweet, sweet sixteen is there than a little taste of sweet, sweet revenge?" - Gumi  
Yeah, whatever. It's a given, I'm aware. I just really liked this one, and I found Gumi to show a side of her... a really creepy one for that matter... that's never been seen before. So... yeah! Sit tight! I'll try and update by tomorrow!**


	18. Chapter 18 - Luka

**Chapter Eighteen**

**-Luka-**

"Hello, welcome to Belle Fashion Studio," says a tall woman behind the reception desk, looking at me under her glasses. "How may I help you?" she asks.

"Hello, I'm Luka Megurine," I introduce myself positively, giving her a smile as my long pink hair falls over my shoulders. She nods her head.

"Hello, Ms. Megurine. Are you one of the youth models for Company CV?" she asks. I nod my head. "Alright," she smiles warmly, reaching across her desk to examine the clipboard that sits to the right of her. Her short brown haircut complements her eyes well, and the red accents to her outfit look nice, too. "Just wait outside of Room CV03. Further assistance will be there in a minute," she says.

"Okay. Thank you," I smile, walking off as my heels click against the tile floor. _Click-click, click-click, click-click._ I scroll up and down the hallways. CV03… CV03… I walk past CV01, CV02… Ah, there it is. I come to a stop and wait patiently outside of the door.

I check my watch and bite my lip. It's been at least a minute. I try knocking on the door. Nothing happens. "Hello?" I call, pressing my face to the side of it. Not even a sound.

"Hi," answers a voice from behind. I spin around, planting myself to the back of the door in surprise. In front of me is a tall man with brown hair and glasses. He wears a black business suit with a blue tie and black dress shoes. "There's no need to knock," he informs me with a grin, "Nobody's in there."

"O-Oh," I stammer, "Whoops!" He chuckles.

"I'm Kiyoteru Hiyama," he says, reaching out his hand, "Welcome to Belle Fashion Studio, Company CV." Letting go of the door, I cautiously take his hand. He shakes it firmly.

"Luka Megurine," I say, regaining confidence and letting go of his hand. "I suppose you're my designer?" I ask. He lets out a hearty laugh.

"Oh no," he chuckles, "Not me. I just manage you."

"Oh," I reply with a sheepish laugh, "Sorry."

"That's okay," he smiles. "Your designer will be here any minute now. He's new, so go easy on him," he winks.

"Alright, thanks," I laugh as he walks off. _What a friendly person._ I wait outside the door again, only hearing subdued sounds of fax machines and footsteps in rooms nearby. _I wonder what's inside the room._

Trying my hardest to keep quiet and not draw attention, I gently test the doorknob, quite surprised to see that it opens easily. I slip into the room. The walls and tables are white, and the large window on the wall allows enough light to flow into the space for me to take a good look around.

One thing catches my eye, however. Standing tall and proud in the front of the room is a large pencil sketch of a woman. She has long straight blonde hair that stands out from the dark tone of her outfit. She is wearing a black formal blazer and under it are a knee-length black pencil skirt and a white dress shirt. Hanging from her neck to match is a bold silver necklace with black gems. Her black sunglasses top off the entire look.

I can't help but stare in awe as I realize that there are more drawings sitting on the table beside me. Each outfit seems to be on the same blonde-haired model, and each outfit brings out her slender triangular figure… almost perfectly. I run my finger gently along the smooth paper, tracing the outline of the dress she's wearing in one even motion…

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," says a low broody voice. I turn around, snatching my hand off of the drawing. In the doorway stands a tall man in a dark, elegant suit with long purple hair that soars down his back, tied up into a loose ponytail. He has a cross look on his face, which, upon seeing me, pulls itself up into a smirk. _What the-?_

"I-I'm sorry," I say, my eyes widening, as I pull my hands from off the table. I back up slowly, panic moving me, only to crash into it. "I-I didn't mean to touch anything!" I stammer. _So much for confidence and first impressions._

"You must be my model," he says, his smirk growing. _My model? The use of the word "my" in that sentence…_

"Y-Yes," I hurriedly say, regaining my posture, "I'm Luka Megurine," I introduce myself, reaching out my hand to shake his. "Are you my designer?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows. He takes my hand in his, curling his cold fingers around mine. An uncomfortable shudder runs through my body as he does so.

"Yes, Ms. Megurine," he says, sending chills through me as he squeezes the breath out of my fingers. "I'm Mr. Kamui," he tells me. Holding his gaze uneasily, I give him a tentative nod. I swear I can see a hint of laughter in his eyes… wild, predatory laughter. _Something about him… seriously frightens me… _

"Um, Mr. Kamui, sir," I start, pulling my hand away unnervingly, "What kind of look are you going to design for me?" I ask.

"Ah, good question. I see you've already helped yourself to the last youth model's collection," he says, eyeing me. Letting out a breath, my shoulders sink weakly. "So far, we've had flirty, urban, vintage, boho, preppy, bold, sporty, couture, earthy, you name it," he lists, ticking off each one with his fingers.

"Really?" I ask, "All that?"

"Yes," he answers. "But usually, we like to give a change in style when our new models come around," he tells me.

"So that leaves…" I start running through things in my head. _Goth. No, there is no way he'd put me in that kind of mess. Hipster? Like, the stuff Gumi sometimes wears? No thank you, no offense. Nerdy? Bringing up Gumi again… That's just-_

"Sophisticated," he smirks, his eyes twinkling. _Sophisticated?_

"L-Like…?" I trail off.

"Elegant, chic," he shrugs. Suddenly, he meets my gaze. "Classy," he finishes. _This shouldn't be too bad, and sophisticated seems like the kind of look I can definitely pull off- I do it all the time!_

"Alright," I say, a smile making its way onto my lips, "That shouldn't be too hard."

"I'm glad we had this little meeting," Mr. Kamui says, "But I really must be getting to work now. The other models will probably be here soon."

As if on cue, the door bursts open. Strutting into the room approaches a thin girl with pink hair shaped into little ringlets on each side. She sticks her nose into the air as she walks, an irritated expression on her face. "I'm here, Gakupo," she growls.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Mr. Kamui glares, slamming his hand on the table.

"I'm here, _Mr. Kamui,_" she hisses.

"Yeah, whatever. Just go ahead and introduce yourself," Mr. Kamui says. The pink-haired girl turns toward me, her crimson eyes burning. Suddenly, much to Mr. Kamui's disbelief, she smiles cutely and waves.

"Hello! I'm Teto!" she giggles, reaching out to shake my hand. I take it tentatively, only to gasp as she yanks it up and down, shaking it violently. "What's your name?" she asks me.

"Luka Megurine," I reply cautiously, pulling my hand back as if I had just touched something burning. She giggles.

"Your hair is so pretty," she smiles. Suddenly, her eyes widen. "C-Can I touch it?" she asks. Without waiting for a response, she grabs a fistful of my long thulian hair and pets it, holding it to her cheek like a blanket. I gently tug it out of her constricted grasp.

"T-Thanks," I say hesitantly. Only to cause me further confusion, the door swings open again. This time, a girl with a galaxy-patterned dress and a white hoodie comes walking in. She wears a strange… _crown _on her head. Under the crown, she has long hair that's blonde on one side and bizarrely brunette on the other, which has multicolored bangs.

"Hi!" she says right away, "I'm Galaco Galaxias!" she smiles, placing her hands assertively on her hips. I furrow my eyebrows. "You must be Luka Megurine," she says, turning to me. "Welcome to Company CV!" she says grandly.

"Thank you, Galaco," Mr. Kamui says, clearing his throat pointedly, "Just have a seat, all of you, until the others get here. Luka, you might as well stay."

"Mr. Kamui?" Galaco asks, sitting down as her jewel-embedded golden crown bounces on her head. "What kind of look will I be wearing this time?" she asks.

"I'll explain that once the others arrive," he says. Right as he finishes his sentence, the door swings open yet again. _Was I early or something?_ Walking into the room comes a girl with wavy long light strawberry blonde hair and little black cat ears attached. _These people keep getting weirder and weirder._

"Ah, Seeu, long time no see," Galaco smiles, placing her hands on the table. _That girl sure is talkative. _Seeu sits down shyly without a word. She doesn't even make eye contact with anybody at the table. _This girl, on the other hand…_

"Now we're just waiting for our last model," Mr. Kamui says tiredly, resting his cheek on his hand. As if on cue, the door opens once again. A girl with long cherry red hair comes walking in with a cheery smile on her face. A tall ahoge sprouts from the top of her head. Upon recognizing it, a sudden feeling rushes through me. _I swear I've seen her before…_

"Hi!" she smiles, "I'm Miki Furukawa!"

* * *

**So, she met Miki... Maybe in time, there'll be ties with Piko! Sorry, I got a little bit lazy on this chapter. There wasn't a lot going on when I made it seem more exciting than it turned out to be. So, to make up for it, maybe I'll drag Miku and Rin into a bigger mess in the next couple chapters! ;)**


	19. Chapter 19 - Rin

**Chapter Nineteen**

**-Rin-**

I open my eyes to see my mother dangling over my bed. She smiles warmly. "Good morning, Rin," she says, her soft voice ringing through my head as I drowsily sit up. I hold her hand, smiling back.

"Good morning, mother."

Suddenly, she is torn from my grasp as she is brutally taken away from me, helplessly fighting back an invisible force that slashes her to shreds. I rip the covers off of my body, ignoring the icy rush of the open air as I scream in horror. I reach out, desperately trying to get a hold of the pieces of her again…

…Only for her remains to disappear in to thin air.

I jerk open my eyes. _Gah, it's just another dream. _Ever since I was a little kid, I've always had dreams like these. They're always short, brutal, and… I hate to say it, but foreshadowing. Sometimes, they hint at things that end up actually happening to me somewhere along the way. I hate dreams. They scare me until I literally have to force my eyes open at night. Still, after all these years… I can't connect the dots, though I've learned to predict them, and I've learned to believe them, no matter how crazy they all seem.

Suddenly, a thought comes over me. Today. I have to tell Len _today. _Suddenly, I'm not so sure if he'll believe me… Of course not. He'll probably think I'm insane after I try telling him. Heck, I don't blame him. If there's one thing I've _really _learned… it's the fact that I am totally, one-hundred percent _in…sane._

There's no way he'll believe me. He'll have to hear it from me, Ann, _and _Al. Maybe even Oliver might be able to help convince him, too. Something just gives me the worst feeling that he won't take this well. But what are we supposed to do after? Tell our parents? There's no way they'll take it well either, unless they still remember Ann and Al. Will Len remember Ann? I didn't remember Ann. I seriously doubt that he will.

Letting out a heavy, shaky, undulating sigh, I get up from my bed as the cold air attacks me all over again. Not caring to take a shower, I throw on a pair of yellow fitted sweatpants that say _Kagamine _down the side in white letters. Over that, I put on a white V-neck t-shirt that shows off my inexistent chest. This is much better than those stupid skirts that Gumi and Luka try to throw me in.

Quietly, since it's still early, I swing open the door to the sound of something sizzling. It's not long before my nostrils are filled with the mouth-watering smell of bacon being cooked. I walk into the hallway to see Luka cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

"Up already?" she asks, pushing the basket of rolls to the side to make room for the plate of bacon.

"Yeah… that smells really good," I say, drool practically dripping from my mouth. I reach over to grab a roll, only for Luka to smack my hand away.

"Uh-uh-uh," she sings, "I believe in eating as a family. You've got to wait until I call the boys down. If you really want to eat that bad, you can go ahead and call them now," she suggests. I cross my arms and storm up to Len's room.

Once I reach the closed white door, I knock lightly. No response. I knock again, but this time harder. Still no response. Biting my lip in irritation, I attempt to try and kick open the door, only to wince in searing pain as my foot seems like it catches fire.

"Who is it?" calls a muffled voice from inside the room.

"Rin," I respond through clenched teeth as I jump around like an idiot, trying to keep balance while clutching my toes in pain. Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Len standing in a pair of black sweatpants and a yellow V-neck t-shirt. _Strange…_

"Good morning," he greets me. With a subtle toss of his head, he flings his shiny, silky blonde hair out of his blue eyes… _Gah! He drives me crazy when he does that! _He gives me a smile, exposing his perfect white teeth… _You can't be thinking like that… Just hurry up and get this over with…_

"L-Len…" I start.

"Yeah," he smiles, "What is it?" _Ugh, I can't ruin his perfect mood like that…_

"Len, we're like… matching," I say, offering a pained smile. He looks down at both of us and chuckles.

"You're right," he grins, "That's weird… Hey, are Kaito and Luka up?" he asks.

"Well, actually, Luka is up cooking breakfast right now. I haven't heard from Kaito yet," I shrug, not meeting his eyes.

"Breakfast? I have a feeling she wakes up early a lot," he says, scratching the back of his neck. I think back to all the times that Luka has texted me at six in the morning on a Saturday.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," I sigh, shaking my head.

"Listen Rin," Len says suddenly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Can I ask you something?" he asks. _This is so different than how he was around me just a couple days ago in the frozen yogurt shop…_

Placing a hand bravely on his, I push him away. "Len, I can't do this. There's something really important that I need you to know first," I say suddenly. _There's no turning back now. _I swallow as his face falls at my rejecting gesture. "Len, we're…" I start, taking a deep breath, "We're twins, okay?" I finally say. It comes out sounding more like a whine than a statement.

"Rin," he says, lifting my chin up with one finger as the cold air overwhelms my shaking body, "I don't understand."

"I need to take you to go meet someone," I say, taking his hand as I open the door and pull him out of the room. I trudge right past Luka, who's humming a tune peacefully as she cooks the scrambled eggs. She doesn't notice us as I put on my flip-flops and Len puts on his shoes.

"What do you mean we're twins?" he asks dumbfounded, "What-"

"That's not how I planned to tell you at all," I interrupt him, closing my eyes as we walk across the path and turn onto the sidewalk.

"Then… how did you plan to tell me?" he asks, tramping along behind me.

"I honestly have no idea," I reply, not even bothering to turn around to look at him. We walk in silence for a couple more minutes until I turn onto Ann's street.

"Where are we going?" Len asks like a little kid.

"We're going to go meet our birth mother," I reply, biting my lip and wincing, waiting for his reaction. When I don't hear anything, I turn around to see Len shaking his head.

"Rin, this is ridiculous," he scoffs, "I'm going home." Something in my chest feels as if it's falling straight down as my lips part in shock. Instinctively, I snatch his wrist.

"Len, just listen to me, _please!_" I beg. "Just hear me out okay?" I ask, a little bit softer. I watch his features soften as well. "I didn't believe it either at first," I tell him convincingly. "Just wait. I'll all be explained in a minute," I sigh, turning around to ring the doorbell.

In an instant, the door swings open, only for Ann to smile at us both. "Rin…" she breathes, "Is this Len?" I nod my head, swallowing. Len furrows his eyebrows, his eyes widening as he does so.

"He doesn't believe me," I say limply. Ann lets out a sigh, her smiling fading.

"I knew this kind of thing would happen. Len, I'm Ann. Come in. We have a lot to tell you," she says, holding the door open wider.

As soon as we're on the couch again, Ann begins telling Len the entire story. I listen to him as he asks the exact same questions that I did, some kind of unidentified emotion swirling through me- something that I had never felt before. It gave me a bitter taste in my mouth and my vision kept getting all blurry.

"So that makes Rin and me… cousins now?" he concludes. I hear him swallow as he turns to look at me, his face stricken with shock and worry. Ann gives a slow nod. "R-Rin," he whispers, his teeth biting down on the soft tissue of his bottom lip.

"I know…" I start, finding his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You two weren't… in love, were you?" Ann asks suddenly. Len and I both look up at her quickly, and then at each other. I watch as his cheeks burn a bright red, which is okay, since mine are probably doing the same thing.

"I-In love…?" I repeat dumbly. "N-No," I say, yanking my hand away. "T-That's… no!" I stammer.

"Definitely not," Len agrees, looking a little hurt. _Gah, I feel bad now. I didn't have to tell him. _

"Oh, good," Ann says, relaxing. _No. This way… it just makes things right._

"Len," I suddenly say, "We should be going. Breakfast is probably on the table."

"R-Right," he sighs, standing up from the couch. "Bye, Ann," he adds, giving her a slight wave. I stand up as well.

"Feel free to visit any time!" she says, waving back to us both.

"We will," I call back as we leave through the door and run out into the light fresh air. "Len…" I start.

"Forget it," he hisses, rending away from me and stomping away. _Crap._

* * *

**Yeah, yeah. I know. Another lazy chapter. Oh well. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyway! Make sure to drop a review! ;)  
For those of you MikuxKaito fans, that's gonna grow in the next couple chapters (especially in the next couple Miku ones)!  
Enjoy!**

**Almost forgot about Quote Time: "I believe in eating as a family." - Luka  
I got this from my family. On Sundays we usually eat together (and the bacon, toast, sausage, eggs, rolls, and all that junk is all good too).**


	20. Chapter 20 - Miku

**Chapter Twenty**

**-Miku-**

I wake up to the sound of my phone releasing its usual notification sound. My eyelids still heavy with sleep, I roll out of bed and walk up to my dresser to go get it. I take a quick glance at the time before typing in my passcode. _10:11. _I yawn and stretch as Gumi stirs in her sleep.

Luka: _Come to our house! We're all going to eat breakfast together!_

I pull the phone up to my view as the message flashes across the screen. I quickly type in a reply.

Me: _Alright. Gumi and I will be there in twenty. Bring Piko?_

Luka: _Of course! G2G! Sausage needs to come out of the oven!_

I give a lighthearted smile at her response and place my pink iPhone down. As I cross over to Gumi, I am sort of surprised to see that she's already woken up.

"Hey," she mumbles, turning over and looking away from me.

"Good morning to you too," I retort with a laugh, "You've gotta get up and dressed," I tell her, "Luka is cooking breakfast and wants us over there."

"Piko too?" she asks, attempting to sit up and straighten out her messy green bedhead at the same time. I nod. "Alright," she says, yawning. "Give me a moment, okay?" she asks, "I get dressed slowly." _Thank goodness I'm the other way around._

"You'd better hurry," I advise her, "I told her we'll be there in twenty minutes." Gumi groans, walking out of the room.

"I hate the mornings."

* * *

The moment we reach Luka's house, Gumi and Piko stand behind me as Luka stands in the doorway welcoming us. "Good morning," she smiles, "Rin and Len should be back in literally, like, one minute, so you guys go wash your hands." Gumi and I walk into the house as I catch her looking at Piko. "Piko Utatane? Miku and Gumi have told me a ton about you!" she laughs, "You look so different!"

"Yeah," he shrugs with a laugh, "So do you." He pulls his lips back into a broad smile. "So what are you doing now?" he asks, taking off his shoes.

"I just signed with a modeling contract," she starts, "I'm pretty much a youth model. That's part of the reason why we're in Paris right now," she explains.

"Really? I could totally see that," he admits, motioning to her. She half-blushes at the compliment. "What's the other reason?" he asks, taking off his shoes.

"It's Miku's birthday in two days. Did she tell you?" Luka answers.

"No!" Piko gasps with a chuckle, "Miku, come on, you gotta tell me this stuff!" he laughs, turning to me as the door opens again. Rin and Len both stomp into the house, Len with a fuming expression on his face, and Rin looking completely scared to death.

"Breakfast is on the table," Luka says, not seeming to take notice of the two.

"Len, _talk to me,_" Rin cries, grabbing his shoulder as he shakes her grasp away. _What the heck happened between those two?_ "Len!" she tries again as he trudges right past her and slams the bathroom door in her face. "Len!" she shouts, placing both of her fists on the door.

"R-Rin, are you alright?" I ask, walking up to her. Her frail, shaking body slides helplessly against the door as her face contorts into a crunch, trying to fight back tears.

"He won't talk to me anymore," Rin sighs, hiding her face in her hands. I kneel down beside her.

"What happened? What did you say?" I ask her gently.

"I… I wish I could tell you!" she suddenly bursts, tears streaming down her face. "Miku, please just understand!" she cries. My jaw slightly drops as her bottom lip quivers. _I've never seen Rin like this… weak… defenseless…_

"Rin…" I start, "Come with me to one of the upstairs bathrooms. We need to talk this out," I say, helping her up as she rubs her eyes desperately.

"I don't _want_ to talk this out," she wails as we climb up the spiral staircase onto the second floor.

"Fine," I decide, "Just wipe your eyes, okay? You have to eat breakfast."

"Okay," she says, closing the bathroom door behind her. _What happened to her? Why won't she talk to me? Why won't Len talk to her?_

"What happened? Is Rin okay?" asks a voice from behind. I spin around, only to see Kaito standing in front of me… and really close to me…

I back up against the bathroom door as his eyes bore into mine quizzically. "Y-Yeah, she's just… a little um, upset, that's all," I say.

"Oh," Kaito says, his face scrunching up with worry. "You sure that's all?"

"Yeah," I answer simply. "So how's it been with Luka, Len, and Rin?" I ask. He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't even get me started on Luka," he chuckles, his eyes widening. I tilt my head. "We're supposed to share a bathroom now, and trust me, it's crazy. All her cosmetics and stuff- Gah, it's like she has ten drawers just for all of her bottles of nail polish," he scoffs. I force out a laugh.

"Seriously?" I ask, my face growing warmer.

"Yeah. I guess Len's okay. I mean, dinner kind of gets annoying having to sit there and listen to him flirt with Rin all the time," he chuckles.

"What?" I ask, my laugh now becoming real as we walk down the steps.

"And Rin, I mean… Really, she's surprised me. I always thought that she was more like you and Luka, or maybe like Gumi, but nope. She's always so grouchy all the time," he laughs. Suddenly, his face falls. "But I've never seen her cry," he says. "Are you sure she's fine?" he asks.

"Yeah, Kaito. She'll be fine in a second, just watch," I say, "She's really resilient." He nods with a swallow.

"Wow, Luka. You really outdid yourself," Kaito chuckles, looking at the breakfast set with seven placemats around the rectangular table. I walk with him as we go to the bathroom and wash our hands. I knock on the closed door. _Hopefully Len isn't still in there… What is _up _with him?_

"Just a second," Piko's voice hums as I hear the sound of a water faucet turning off through the door. _Thank goodness. _Kaito quickly inches closer to me as the door swings open, revealing Piko with a paper towel in his hands. "Oh, hey," he smiles. I grin back at him. Suddenly, I notice that a little strand of his hair stands up right at the top, giving him that shota look that he was so infamous for.

"P-Piko," I giggle, "Your hair…"

"My ahoge is back, isn't it?" he asks. My shoulders start bouncing in laughter as Kaito turns to face me in confusion.

"What? Do you like, cut that thing off?" Kaito asks, pointing at it in disgust, only for me to laugh even harder.

"Yeah," Piko admits with a shrug, "I can never seem to lose it."

"Why not?" Kaito asks, shaking his head in disbelief. Piko shrugs with a laugh, dismissing the question.

"Just go hurry up and get a roll before I eat them all, shota," I tease, standing up on the tips of my toes to ruffle his ahoge. He scoffs and rolls his eyes, walking away from me.

"What was that about?" Kaito asks, turning on the bathroom light as he washes his hands. I shrug, shaking my hand.

"You know Piko and his ahoge problems," I giggle, shoving him aside to wash my hands. He laughs in protest and flicks water at my face. "Hey!" I shout, punching him playfully in the shoulder.

"Your fault for pushing me," he laughs with a shrug. I open my mouth to say something, but instead close it as I see a very cheery-looking Gumi in the doorway.

"Why hello there," she says, looking into my eyes with a smile… that's somewhat creepy. I swear I just saw her wink at Kaito. Kaito laughs, drying his hands on a paper towel. "How's it going Kaito?" she asks with a tilt of her head.

"Fine. Sometimes you are so pushy, Gumi," Kaito says, tossing the paper towel in the trash bin.

"What?" she demands, "All I did was ask how you were!"

"No," Kaito counters, raising his eyebrows, "You said 'How's it going?'", he laughs. Gumi rolls her eyes. "I know what that means," he tells her. _What the heck? What are they even talking about?_

"Sorry you had to hear that, Miku," Gumi laughs, turning on the sink. I furrow my eyebrows as my lips curve up into a silly smile.

"What was that about?" I ask once Kaito has left the bathroom.

"You know Kaito and his social problems," she giggles. Woah, _déjà vu._

* * *

"Can you pass the jam?" Piko asks politely. Kaito reaches across the table, grabbing the glass jar of grape jam and slamming it down… a little bit too hard. Everybody looks at up Kaito, who rubs his neck guiltily. Piko, whose ahoge is now gone, looks at him with a strange concerned look on his face. Kaito just shoves his fork down in his scrambled eggs. _What just happened there?_

"Luka, this is really good," says Gumi, shoving a roll in her mouth. Luka smiles warmly, putting a little bit of syrup on her pancakes.

"Thanks. I'm glad you like it," she says. I notice Luka's plate.

"Is that all you're eating?" I ask her, staring at the two feeble pancakes.

"I'm not very hungry," she replies with a shrug.

"You're not even going to eat any bacon?" I ask.

"I'm a vegetarian," she replies quickly. I raise my eyebrows once as if to say _whatever _and take a bite out of my pancake.

"Where's Rin?" Kaito suddenly asks. Everybody except Len takes a look around the table, searching for her. There's an empty seat right next to Len, the silverware and plate remaining untouched.

"I'll go get her," I say, placing my hands on the table and pushing myself up. "Len, you want to come with me?" I ask, giving him a look. A small noise escapes his throat. "What was that?" I ask, intensifying my glare.

"No thanks," he replies, not looking at me. _Seriously, what happened between them that Len doesn't even want to look at anyone anymore?_

"Alright, suit yourself," I say, tossing one of my teal twin tails behind my back and leaving the room. I job upstairs and knock on the bathroom door. "Rin, come out," I say. The door suddenly opens to reveal Rin with tears still in her eyes.

"Are they eating already?" she asks. I nod my head.

"Rin, what took you so long?" I ask her, stepping back as she starts walking down the stairs. _What happened?!_

"I don't know," she answers weakly, descending down the curvy staircase. I shrug, not wanting to bother her with any more questions. "Sorry, guys," she says once she slides down into her chair in between Gumi and Len.

"Where were you?" Luka asks.

"Just in the bathroom, that's all," she answers quietly. The only sounds to fill the air next are those of forks clinking against ceramic plates as everyone finishes their breakfast, too busy eating to say anything.

"I think I'm done," Len groans, pushing his plate away from him.

"You hardly ate," Luka says, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Neither did you," he points out, standing up.

"Len…" she trails off, watching his back as he turns around to walk away from us and out of the dining room. _That was… cold._ "Rin, do you want to check on him?" Luka asks, turning the attention to Rin as she stares out the window.

"No thank you," she says in a limp, monotone voice, not losing her daze.

"None of you?" Luka asks, putting her glass down in irritation. _I've known Luka long enough to know that she doesn't like it when you don't eat her food._

"Luka, I think it's okay," Gumi says suddenly, "I'm done too." At least Gumi has a clean plate. She stands up from the table and puts her dish in the dishwasher. "It was really good," she adds, before leaving the room.

"So… um," Kaito starts, changing the subject. "Miku, I still feel like I haven't gotten to know you very well," he admits. I look up at him. "Do you think we can hang out later?" he asks casually.

Suddenly, Piko turns to look at me, as if it's instinctive. I can't help but furrow my eyebrows as I swallow down what feels like a rock in the back of my throat. Suddenly, an acrimonious taste fills up my mouth. Piko's eyes soften. I simply blink back at him, not wanting to say anything. I raise my water glass up to my lips as the clear fluid streams into my arid mouth.

As I take a drink, it seems like forever as I am lost in my thoughts. _Piko's right here. Kaito, this is the worst, worst, worst timing ever. I need to calm down, it was only casual. He's not asking me out on a date or anything… right? I think it's better not to ask if he is- it'll sound like I want one._

"Sure, I guess," I shrug, not meeting Piko's eyes. Just in case, I give a light smile as I let out a sigh.

"Cool," Kaito grins, "Yesterday I saw this little ice-cream shop. You wanna try it out?" he asks. _Ice-cream. I should have guessed._

"Yeah, sounds fun," I smile. He chuckles. "Should we go later?" I ask.

"Yeah, why not?" he says with a nonchalant shrug.

"Okay. I'll meet you around lunch-time, okay?" I ask. The corners of his lips curve up into a slight grin as his azure eyes meet with mine, twinkling in pleasure.

"Alright," he nods, standing up, "Luka, that was really good. Thanks." I can't help but smile as thoughts begin pouring into my cluttered mind.

_Now's your chance. He just asked you to hang out with him! Why not give it your best shot? _Suddenly, my eyes dart to Piko. _Oh, I guess that's why._

* * *

**Oh, Miku, so... clueless. Thank you for all the reviews and things that keep me going! Alright, so I am starting this new thing for every chapter I post (I'll try, okay?)**

**Eating: Gum  
Drinking: Nothing  
Doing: Publishing, listening to music  
Homework: None  
Listening to: Meteor (Hatsune Miku)  
Quote time: "You know Piko and his ahoge problems." - Miku**

**Sorry for the late updates! FanFiction was being derpy and it wouldn't let me post. As soon as I saw it was up and running again, I got right to publishing! :)**

**Enjoy the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21 - Miku

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**-Miku-**

"What was _that_?" I hear a voice behind me. I suddenly spin around to see a confused and worried looking Piko, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket.

"What was _what_?" I ask dumbly, shaking my head.

"Look, Miku, I thought-"

"Oh. Piko," I suddenly moan, "It's not a date or anything. Just let it go," I say, leaning against the wall of the living room. It hasn't been very long since we had all eaten breakfast, and I'm supposed to meet Kaito so he can take me to an ice-cream shop in a couple minutes. To be honest, I'm quite excited.

"Well, the way he said it, it made it sound like he was trying to ask you out," Piko says, raising his eyebrows. _That's right. Piko and I are kind of going out now…_

"Well, the way he slammed the jam down on the table, it made it sound like he was trying to tell you how much he hates you," I point out. _Why… did that just come out of my mouth?_ Piko's face suddenly falls. _I bet that made me look like a _great_ half-girlfriend._

"Sorry, it's not my fault he doesn't like me," Piko shrugs. "Do you know why?" he suddenly asks, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He sits down on the couch next to me- and pretty close to me for that matter.

"Nope," I reply, "No idea." Suddenly, I pause as a thought sinks in. "Maybe it's because…" I start. _He knows Piko and I are going out. He knows this kind of stuff, Miku, he's not stupid. _"Never mind," I finish, instead of saying anything else.

"You sure?" Piko asks, playing with his hoodie zipper. _Maybe I'm the one who's stupid. I can't even seem to get across the message that I don't have feelings for Piko. Maybe I _do_ like Piko and I don't even realize it. Maybe-_

"Yeah," I suddenly answer with a shudder, afraid of what my thoughts would try to convince me next. Suddenly, I hear footsteps walking into the room as both Piko and I turn our heads in the direction of which they come. Kaito walks in, a strange… blank look on his face. _Thank you Kaito, you saved me… I think._

"Are you ready to go, Miku?" he asks, pulling on his blue scarf. I give a nod, turning away from Piko so I don't have to see his face. _It kills me to see these two glaring at each other. Why can't they just-_

"Yeah," I answer, cutting off my thoughts again. I walk up beside him as we begin walking out of the doorway. I stop suddenly. "Bye Piko," I smile, turning around to give him a wave. He waves back and turns around to pull out his phone. I suddenly feel a buzz in my pocket. I whip my phone out and read the message that flashes across the bright screen.

Piko: _Tell me how it goes, okay?_

"What was that?" Kaito asks, walking beside me to the mudroom. I quickly shove my phone back into the pocket of my short black shorts.

"Nothing," I answer, putting on my matching black flats. Kaito puts on his shoes as well and we head out the door. "So what is this ice-cream place like, anyway?" I ask, trying to break the silence. I watch as Kaito's eyes light up like a little kid.

"It's wonderful. There're _tons _of flavors! Oh, and it's right by the arcade too!" he grins.

"You really do love ice-cream, don't you?" I ask as we slip into his metallic blue Mercedes convertible. He starts the car, the loud engine vibrating in my ears. I pull out my phone and quickly type in my passcode (5335, because it's technically "leek"). I open my messaging app and re-read Piko's message before replying my own.

Piko: _Tell me how it goes, okay?_

Miku: _Going okay so far, I'll txt you more later. G2G!_

Putting my phone back in my shorts pocket, I watch as Kaito smoothly pulls out of the driveway and onto the street. I tug down on the big red bow on my cream-colored shirt, which currently matches the red bows in my hair that hold up my two teal twin tails, creating a contrasting color scheme. "How far away is this place?" I ask Kaito.

"It's really not too far," he answers, turning to face me as we cruise down the road. I nod my head. _This is a little… awkward._ I bite my lip, trying to think of something to say to break the ice a bit. "Look, we're practically there," he smiles, pulling up into the parking lot. _That was fast._

I look up to see a cute red and white sign hanging above a small white building which reads _Cerise_. I look around to see that Kaito is already gazing at the menu in awe. I can't help but let out a laugh at his adorable childlikeness.

"Kaito!" I call, running up next to him at the counter. "Wait up, okay?" I laugh. I look up at the menu as well. _He's right. Everything looks so good._

"I'll take two vanillas," Kaito says, placing a hand on my shoulder. _He knows me too well. _He gives me a contagious grin. The girl behind the counter smiles at us. "One medium and one small," he adds.

"Why'd _you _get a vanilla this time?" I ask with a laugh, "There are a ton of other things you could've gotten!"

"What? Maybe I like vanilla too," he argues teasingly, "Plus, do I seem like the kind of guy who's only going to show up here once?" he asks, raising his eyebrow at me playfully. I scoff.

The girl behind the counter turns around with a friendly smile, her red bun bouncing on the top of her head as she does so. Her outfit is really cute too; she wears a white and blue striped tank top with a red zipper down the front. She has long white gloves that climb up her arms and stop past her elbows, outlined in blue. She has a blue music-note in her hair, connected to a pair of white headphones.

"Here you go," she smiles, handing us both our ice-cream cones. I watch as Kaito pays. _This time, I don't have that uncomfortable feeling… Unlike with Piko last night._ "Enjoy!" she smiles.

We walk away, holding our cones in our hands. "She was nice," I comment, once we're out of earshot.

"Yeah," Kaito agrees, finding a nearby bench to sit on, "But I wish there was more shade around here. My ice-cream is melting _already_," he chuckles, patting an empty spot on the bench for me to sit down on. I take a seat next to him. A summery breeze flies through our hair, ruffling Kaito's and sending mine flying around my shoulders.

"K-Kaito, look!" I gasp as my ice-cream begins to drip around my fingers. He laughs at me, shaking his head. "Get it off me!" I yell, laughing as well.

"Lick it off," he says as if it's completely obvious. I roll my eyes. He tosses me a napkin. _I bet I look so shallow right now._ Suddenly, I take a deep breath and begin licking the sweet vanilla ice-cream off my fingertips. He laughs. "There you go," he says encouragingly. I let out a scoff, and with a flick of my wrist, I send the melted drops of ice-cream flying at him. I laugh with satisfaction as he gasps.

"There you go," I mock him with a snort. He rolls his eyes.

"Just be lucky I don't fight with girls," he teases, his blue eyes shining through his tossed cobalt hair.

"Hey!" I exclaim, punching him playfully in the shoulder. He flicks me in the cheek. I yank on his scarf. Suddenly, I feel a familiar vibration in my pocket again. _It's just Piko. There's no need to check it right now._

"So who is it that keeps texting you?" Kaito asks with a tilt of his head, adjusting his scarf back to normal. I bite my lip. _Don't lie to him…_

"Piko," I answer quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh," Kaito replies. "Are you guys like, dating or anything?" he asks suddenly. _He did not just pull that card._

"Um…" I hesitate, "No… Not really." _I thought I wasn't supposed to be lying to him. _I bite my lip. _Gah, and the hesitation completely gave it away!_

"You kinda hesitated there," he sings, chuckling nervously. _Perfect. _"Come on, Miku," he says, "Don't lie to me."

"Who said I was lying?" I suddenly defend myself, "Plus, why did you slam the jam down this morning at breakfast, huh?" I ask, slurping down the last of my vanilla-flavored milk. I cringe as I watch Kaito's eyes widening suddenly.

"I-I didn't! It was an accident!" he claims. _Why can't I control my mouth?_

"Come on, Kaito," I tease with a smirk, "Don't lie to me." He lets out a scoff and crosses his arms.

"Fine. It _wasn't_ an accident," he sighs, looking down. My face falls.

"Kaito, why would you do that?" I ask, my jaw dropping. _I think I know exactly why…_

"I just don't like the kid, okay?" Kaito groans, "He's so… sketchy." I let out a breath, followed by uncertain laughter.

"Is that actually it?" I ask, shaking my head. "Come on, there's a reason!"

"He just… I don't trust him, okay?" Kaito exclaims, his eyes widening. I give him a look. "Fine. I don't trust him around _you, _that's all," he mumbles.

"Ooh," I sing, wiggling my fingers, "Kaito…" I suddenly burst out into laughter. _This isn't funny, _I convince myself, _so why am I laughing? _"What? You think he likes me or something?" I scoff. Kaito rolls his eyes. I raise an eyebrow.

"Yes," he finally admits. I start laughing even harder.

"What? Are you trying to play matchmaker or something?" I ask, flicking his shoulder.

"No," he retorts, "Unlike _Len._"

"L-Len?" I ask as my laughter falls, suddenly confused.

"Yeah," Kaito answers, "He was the one who wanted to set you and Piko up in the first place." My eyes suddenly widen as the truth flashes in front of my eyes. _Piko was his "friend" he was talking about, right? He said he needed to "settle the score" with someone here in Paris… was that just a lie to make sure I met Piko? Was he really just trying to set us up like Kaito said? Did he know this whole time that Piko had some sort of crush on me? Did he-_

"Len…" I groan, cutting off my thoughts for what would probably add up to the thousandth time. "Whyyyy~?" I whine, tossing my head back in frustration.

"He knew that Piko liked you," Kaito tells me matter-of-factly. _How does he know this? Why is he telling me this? Does he not feel _completely_ awkward?_

"Kaito…" I start. He looks up at me. "Why…?" Suddenly, I stop. _I can't feel it right to ask anything. It's like… I almost forgot what I was going to say, but really, I knew all along. Gah, I can't even make sense of anything myself._

"How about we get going to the arcade?" he smiles with a tilt of his head. Without waiting for my response, he takes the wrapper from the ice-cream cone out of my hand and crumbles it with his, tossing it in the garbage can right beside him. _How can I be like this? First I'm laughing as if everything is perfect, and a blink later, I can't even make sense of my thoughts?_

In recollection of the question that's been on my mind for what seems like forever, suddenly, a new one flickers into my mind, reading a message that seems to explode all over every last corner of my cognizance. _What if Kaito only asked to hang out with me so that he could ask me out? What if by lying to him, I just opened the doors for him to? What if-_

"You okay, Miku?" Kaito asks, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking at me strangely. "You're looking a bit… scared."

"Oh, nothing," I sing, my voice shaky from the alarming thought. _What on Earth have I done?_ Suddenly, a little booth catches my eye as we make our way in. "Kaito! Look!" I say, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. He turns his head in the direction I'm pointing. "A photo booth! You think that could be fun?"

Suddenly, a smile brushes his features. "Definitely," he grins.

* * *

**Oh hi there! This next chapter will be Gumi's POV.**

**Eating: Waffles  
Drinking: Nothing  
Doing: Publishing, writing chapter 22  
Homework: Sketch a figure for a fashion class I'm taking. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Oh, and I have Honors Choir homework. I have to memorize seven songs in two days! Help!  
Listening to: Honors Choir songs  
Quote time: "He did not just pull that card." - Sassy Little Miss Miku**


	22. Chapter 22 - Gumi

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**-Gumi-**

"I cannot _wait _for those two to get back from their date!" I sigh, collapsing onto the living room couch. Piko gives me a confused glance, his widening eyes spangled with confusion.

"They're on a date?" Piko asks with a tilt of his head.

"Your ahoge got fixed," I laugh, tossing him the remote. He doesn't laugh back. _Way to go, Gumi._

"No, Gumi, seriously," he says, catching it in his hand smoothly. "They're on a date? Like, a serious one?" I nod my head slowly. _Is that not what I just said? _I watch as Piko's eyebrows narrow as the poor remote is choked in his asphyxiating grasp. "S-She told me…" he whispers.

"She told you what?" I ask suddenly, my eyebrows furrowing. _Why would he even care in the first place? Oh, right…_

"She told me it was just casual, that's all," Piko informs me. Suddenly, his eyes widen further as a gasping noise escapes his throat. "Wait!" he exclaims, "How did you even know about this?" he asks. As his words circle around in my head, I can't help but let out a suppressed giggle. I clasp my hand over my mouth to stop, but, oh well… Suddenly, I burst out into a huge laugh. He gives me a confused look.

"Eh, I guess I just know stuff, Piko," I giggle, checking my candy apple green nails. Really, Luka had overheard earlier and was talking to me about how cute of a couple Kaito and Miku would be. "Hey, toss the remote," I say, holding out my hand. He flings it lightly back at me. I catch it in my hand like he had done.

"Ha, nice catch," he chuckles. I can feel my cheeks getting hot as I feel my entire face lighting up. _Gross, red and green? Not a good match until Christmas._ "I guess I should just forget about it?" Piko asks, rubbing the back of his neck. _Why do guys do that all the time?_

"Yeah. It's not that big of a deal, right?" I smile convincingly. _He's actually talking to me. And like… not Miku! This is a step in the right direction. _"Hey, Piko," I say, putting the remote down on the coffee table. "Maybe we should go outside and play catch!" I grin.

"Really? I never really thought of you as the sporty type," he chuckles.

"Well, when you're hanging around Rin for that long, it kinda happens," I joke. He pushes himself of the couch as I follow him through the sliding glass door.

As I step onto the soft cool bright green grass, little drops of wet morning dew soak into my bare feet. It's actually quite sunny out, although it seems like it rained last night. I look up to see seven dynamic colors flashing across the cloudless blue sky. "Piko! Look!" I smile, poking at his shoulder and pointing upward. He grins as he sees it too. A beautiful rainbow… _how special. _

"It's so intense…" he whispers, a thousand-mile stare misting up his eyes. I utter a laugh as I toss my jade green shoulder-length hair behind my back. He laughs as well, walking over to a shed in his backyard. I lean over behind his shoulder as he pulls out a baseball. I grin.

"My dad taught me how to play baseball when I was a kid. I was really good at it then, but I guess I haven't really picked up a baseball since I was seven," I tell Piko with a warm smile. He looks back up at me, returning it.

"Really?" he jokes, "I thought it might have been Rin."

"_She, _on the other hand, still plays baseball," I chuckle. I raise a finger up to my chin. "And basketball, and soccer, and swimming, and lacrosse, and football-"

"Wh-Wh-Whoa, wait," Piko laughs, holding up a hand, "The chick plays _football?_" I nod proudly. Baseball in hand, he walks over to a more open space in his yard. I follow him, along with the sound of the summery breeze curving through the leaves of the orange trees.

He tosses me the baseball lightly. I catch it with both my hands. "Come on, you can throw it harder than that, Utatane!" I tease, flinging it back to him. He throws it harder, but not hard enough to even crack a window. "Man up!" I laugh, "I don't wanna see any shota throws!" He rolls his eyes as I throw it back to him. He catches it and sends it flying back through the air. "There ya go!" I shout encouragingly.

"Is this what your dad was like?" he asks as I catch it with one hand.

"Yeah, pretty much," I shrug, tossing it back to him. I laugh as he catches it behind his back. _Smooth move, shota._ "What's your dad like?" I ask.

"He's okay. I guess we never really have time to do anything together since he's always away for business," Piko says, throwing it back to me. He shrugs it off. "My mom's the same way, but I've gotten used to it."

"Oh," I say, my face falling, "That's too bad." _I wish I knew what to say._ "Hey, are you hungry?" I ask, catching it in my hands. He nods, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. I run over and toss the baseball back in the shed. I reach to close the door when suddenly, I see a small yellow bird hiding underneath a shovel. "Hey little guy, I don't want you getting stuck in here," I giggle as it spreads its black wings and flies out.

"What was that?" Piko asks, walking up next to me.

"Just a little bird," I answer. Suddenly, the bird flies right past my face and into a low tree branch that hangs right above my shoulder. "He's really friendly," I laugh. Piko and I watch as he takes off into the air and soars out above Piko's driveway. It turns around, fluttering over to us again and circling around out into the driveway another time.

"I think he's trying to get us to follow him," Piko laughs, raising his eyebrows. The bird lets out an approving tweet as if it understands what Piko said.

"You think we should?" I ask, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Why not?" Piko laughs. Suddenly, a low growling noise rumbles from the center of my stomach. "Here, let's go get something to eat," he suggests, opening the sliding glass door for me to follow him back into the house. I skip through the door as he closes it behind me. "So, when exactly is Miku's birthday?" Piko asks me as we walk into the kitchen.

"Friday," I answer, sliding into a chair.

"What do you want to eat?" he asks.

"Just a salad is fine, thanks," I say with a wave of my hand.

"You sure?" he asks with a tilt of his head, "You sounded pretty hungry back there," he grins. I laugh. "I'm making ravioli, if you change your mind," he says.

"Ravioli?" I laugh, "Alright fine. Ravioli and salad."

"_There_ we go," he smiles, reaching into the cupboard for a glass. "So, um, when exactly is Miku's birthday?" he asks, placing two glasses onto the table after filling them with water.

"It's on Friday," I reply, taking a sip. "I can tell she's really excited."

"Oh," Piko says, "What are you guys planning to do for her?"

"Well, Luka, Rin and I were all looking at some fun things, but with the money mishap and all…" I trail off as Piko sits down in the chair across from me.

"That's no problem. Remember, not only will you each collect some things from your jobs, but I'm here. I'm sure Kaito and Len are doing the same for Rin and Luka," he offers. My face melts into a heartfelt smile.

"P-Piko," I stammer, "Thank you so much! You'll really pay for all this too?"

"Yeah, I don't mind one bit," he says, smiling strongly. Something in his multicolored eyes softens as my shoulders relax slowly with a heavy sigh. "It must be hard for you guys, going on a vacation and seeing that your money is…" he falters quietly.

"Gone," I finish, raising my eyebrows. "But maybe we can do something that doesn't require money!" I say, "Like, we could probably just celebrate here or something." Suddenly, Piko's eyes light up.

"You could go to the beach!" he grins, playing with the string of his hoodie. _Thank goodness I packed a bikini. This is a perfect idea!_

"That's great, Piko!" I smile. Suddenly, a vision of Piko shirtless floods my mind. _Oh god no, don't think like that, Gumi._ Suddenly, a bright red heated blush splashes onto my cheeks as I tear away from his gaze. In attempt to hide the blush, I clasp my hands over my cheeks.

"You okay?" he asks, looking up at me through his silky silvery bangs. I quickly nod.

"I should um, go," I say suddenly, pushing myself up from the table.

"But… Gumi, your lunch!" he calls back to me as I walk straight past him. "Gumi!" he calls again, on the bridge between standing up and sitting. "Gumi…" he mumbles as I wordlessly leave the room.

_What has just gotten into me? Why didn't I answer him? Gah! I probably look like an idiot right now… _

_But the beach _does _sound like a good idea…_

* * *

**Next up is Luka!**

**Eating: a NutriGrain bar  
Drinking: about to be chocolate milk  
Doing: Publishing, math homework  
Homework: Math... it sucks.  
Listening to: Nothing (Not allowed to, but whatever)  
Quote time: "Oh god no, don't think like that Gumi!" - Gumi**

**I will see you, Seeu! *Runs away waving as scarf trails behind me in the winter air***

***Runs into the brick wall of a building***


	23. Chapter 23 - Luka

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Luka**

"Gumi, the beach? Really?" I ask, holding my cell phone up closer to my lips as my eyebrows curve up in hesitation.

"Yeah!" she says enthusiastically through the speakers. "Look, it's free, right? Oh, and the guys will just pay for the food and stuff and maybe some towels and stuff like that," she goes on.

"Gumi, I doubt that everybody even packed swimsuits," I point out, leaning back. "I mean, I packed one, but…"

"You packed one! I packed one! I already called Miku and Rin and they both have one too!" Gumi practically shouts through the phone.

"Even Rin? Gumi, I'm still just kind of…" I pause, searching for the right words. _Still just kind of…_

"_Please?_" Gumi whines. I close my eyes and sigh.

"Fine. We'll go on Thursday to celebrate," I say.

"Thursday?" Gumi repeats. "Her birthday is on _Friday, _Luka," she mumbles.

"I know _that, _but my fashion show…" I remind her, "I won't be able to make it in the afternoon. There's a lot of work that goes into that, you know!"

"Fine," she complains, "You're so selfish. Maybe you should just… you know what?" she growls. I hold my breath in shock, waiting for her to finish. "Just make it okay?" she splutters.

"I will," I hush her rudely. I pull the phone away from my ear and hang up abruptly.

_Maybe she's right. Maybe I really _am _selfish and this fashion show is the only thing that matters to me. Maybe I don't care enough about other people's feelings. Maybe I should step out of that stupid shell and get to know people a little bit better. You know what? A great way to start would be to get to know my fellow models. Sure, they seem a bit weird, but well… I've gotten used to Rin, Miku and Gumi after all these years. This will be perfectly fine…_

_Right?_

"Luka Megurine!" calls a voice from behind. Just a suddenly as the shout, I feel a pair of hands squeezing the life out of my stomach. I wriggle out of the choking embrace to see the curly-pink-haired model hopping from one foot to the other. "Hi! Thanks for inviting me over!" she grins.

"Oh, hi Teto," I say, holding the door open. I twist my face up into a welcoming smile, yet really… this girl scares me. "Come on in," I say. Kaito and Len left to go to the grocery store, and Rin is… I actually haven't seen her in the past hour. Oh well, as long as she's not bothered by the… my… _friends._

"Your house is so nice!" she cries, spinning in circles. Suddenly, she stops with her eyes wide. She begins running her fingers down the sides of the curtains. "When will the others get here?" she asks, taking a deep breath to smell them.

"Soon," I answer. "Hopefully," I add under my breath. I snap up to attention as I hear a knock on the door. _What is up with these girls and punctuality?_ "Hello?" I open up the door. Standing there is the curvaceous girl with cat ears in her hair… Gah! I forgot her name! "Sorry, what's your name again?" I ask with a smile. Without even glancing at me, she slowly walks in without saying a word. She trips on the stairs on the way in, but catches her balance as if nothing had happened.

"That's Seeu Kim," Teto sings, "She doesn't ever say anything. Ever."

"Oh," I reply. The door swings open again to reveal Galaco wearing the same outfit from yesterday. "Hi there," I smile as she walks into the door with her hands on her hips. She tilts her head, her crown inexplicably not falling off.

"Where's Miki?" she asks.

"Oh, Miki's not here yet," I answer. Suddenly, the thought comes back to me. _Where have I seen this Miki girl before? On TV? No… I know she's somewhat famous… I think..._

"No, I'm here," says hear a young, jovial voice from behind as the door shuts behind me. "Hi Luka, hi guys," she smiles. _She has such a nice smile. _"You have a nice house, Luka," she adds, walking in gracefully.

"I said the same thing!" Teto shouts, running up to give Miki a huge hug. I watch in shock as Miki's face turns bright red as she runs out of air. "We're twins!"

"You know that's just something people say to be polite, right?" Galaco says, her hands on her hips crossly. _Rude much? _"Of course, this isn't anything compared to my space-inspired mansion back where I live," she says, sticking her nose up in the air. _So we've got a hyper maniac, a clumsy mute, a stuck-up braggart, and… Miki._

"Miki, I swear I've seen you before," I say, tilting my head as my eyes narrow in confusion.

"Oh, well, believe it or not, I used to go to school with you!" she grins, stepping a bit closer to me. _That's it! _"You know, with Piko Utatane, a-and… and Hatsune Miku," she says. Suddenly, her eyes narrow at Miku's name. "Oh, I _really _did not like her," she mumbles, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I guess everything ended up okay, since Piko and I both moved here!"

"Oh, really? You and Piko Utatane are still good friends?" I ask, suddenly interested.

"Totally!" she grins, placing her hands on her heart. Her face falls. "But… not anymore. I mean, we're still friends, but…" she trails off, stumbling over her words.

"But what?" I ask.

"Well, we _were _dating, but suddenly, he just _stopped_ liking me as a girlfriend, and well, we broke up," she says, looking down forlornly.

"And why didn't you like Hatsune Miku?" I ask, slightly offended.

"Well, she was always so… perfect all the time. I don't know. I guess it's a pretty stupid reason. But back then, I think Piko had a crush on her," she whispers with a giggle. "But, you know, I liked him even back then," she admits.

"Oh," I say, drawing in a deep breath. "You'll probably hate me for saying this," I laugh nervously, "But Miku's just down the street from here right now. Oh, and we're pretty much best friends," I finish, nodding my head. Her eyes widen as her jaw drops. "But come on Miki, she's really nice now, and I don't think she ever meant to do anything bad to you, so just really get to know her this time," I smile.

"She hasn't seen Piko yet here, has she?" Miki asks worriedly, taking a sharp breath.

"Well, actually, they were just eating breakfast over here," I tell her.

"Oh," Miki mumbles, "So that's why he… Oh my god," she suddenly says.

"What?" Galaco pipes in. "You're jealous, aren't you? Why would you be jealous of this Miku girl? What does she have that I don't?" she demands.

"N-Nothing," Miki quickly says, smoothing down her ahoge and fixing the collar of her navy blue blazer. I watch in secret humor as her ahoge pops right back up. _I guess both Piko and Miki can't get rid of that. At least Piko has scissors._

"I'm sooo hungry," Teto whines, rocking from side to side. "Do you have food, Luka?" she asks.

"Oh, yes," I say, "But there's probably not that much right now, my um, brothers just went to the grocery store," I say. _Okay, maybe that wasn't the most truthful thing that has ever come out of my mouth. That was more like… a half-lie!_

"Great! I can't wait to meet your brothers!" Teto says, hopping from left to right again, her curly drill-tails bouncing up and down. She swings open the refrigerator. To her dismay, only a bit of breakfast food and a carton of almond milk remain. "Aw, man," she says, slamming it.

"Sorry, ignore her," Galaco says, rolling her eyes and fixing her golden jeweled crown. _Okay, this Galaco girl is really starting to get on my nerves._ "I mean, I'm hungry as well," she says pointedly, checking her long galaxy print nails, "But oh well. No good food is no good food. What, are you guys on vacation here or something?" she asks. _What if we weren't?_

"Yes, actually," I say, "And we just got here yesterday."

"Oh, tough. Well, that explains it Teto," she finishes, flipping her blonde and brunette split hair. I notice her multicolored pink, blue, yellow, and brunette bangs that fall over her forehead, bouncing under her crown.

"Well," I say, after a strange silence. I glance at the clock. _It's been a surprising ten minutes and I still haven't heard a word from Seeu._ "Do any of you guys know what you're wearing for the show?" I ask, glancing at Seeu.

"Nope, not yet, I think we're getting that stuff tomorrow," Miki says unsurely.

"Actually, it's tonight. I heard that the style is supposed to be sophisticated. I think that'll be interesting," Galaco says.

"Oh," Miki whispers, tying her arms behind her back. "Hey, Luka, did you know that you're pretty much on the same street as Piko?" she asks me.

"Yeah," I answer. _Where is she going with this?_

"I seriously need to talk to him before…" she falters, swallowing deeply.

"Before what?" I ask with a sharp eyebrow raise.

"Before something really bad happens, okay? It's an apology," she adds, her cherry red eyes tearing from my gaze. She lets out a sigh.

"Where do I come in?" I ask suspiciously.

"I need you to come over there with me to back me up, okay?" she asks.

"We're talking about the same Piko Utatane, right?" I ask. "Miki, I honestly don't think you need backup on this. He seems like he's really understanding," I remind her, "You'll be fine."

"But…" she starts. I watch as she takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Okay, Luka. Thank you so much," she says, "I'm probably going to go right now, okay?" She runs and puts her boots on and dashes out the door. _How strange. _Suddenly, she stops and turns around and smiles. "Luka, Miku's really lucky to have a friend like you!" she calls, waving. I watch in silent confusion as she races down the driveway.

_Luka, Miku's really lucky to have a friend like you. Maybe I'm not selfish… Maybe this is already helping… Maybe the other models aren't actually that bad. Maybe I am a good friend to Miku… and Rin… and Gumi… Oh, Gumi._

_ Gumi's not going to believe this._

* * *

**So, Miku's birthday is tomorrow! (Yes, I know, I skipped three days, but who cares? I feel like with 22 chapters we should be at that point!) They're going to the beach... Oh, the beach... *sigh* *Cackles like Gumi* *All the random fans reading this join in***

**Eating: Nothing  
Drinking: Nothing  
Doing: Counting the minutes until I was supposed to wake up (9:00)  
Homework: Hahah! None! :)  
Listening to: Come on, everyone in my house is still asleep. I'm not that cruel! (forget that cackle, 'kay?)  
Quote time: "So we've got a hyper maniac, a clumsy mute, a stuck-up braggart, and… Miki." - Luka**


	24. Chapter 24 - Rin

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**-Rin-**

Oh, it's nice outside. As the refreshing summer breeze sings in my ear along with the brilliant sunlight that brightens my golden hair, I take a deep breath. In and out. In and out… In… and out…

_You didn't make the right choice, Rin. _In and out. In… and out… _He hates you now… _In and out… _That's why he won't talk to you anymore… _Inandout, inandout, inandout… _What do you say? Isn't it true? Why else won't he-_

"Rin!" calls a voice from behind, sharp winded breaths following. The sound of heavy footsteps stumbling against the hard pavement grows as it approaches me. I turn around to shockingly see Len running straight toward me. I stagger backward in disbelief as he skids to a stop right in front of me. "Rin," he says again, his breaths strident and choked.

"L-Len?" I ask dumbly, "What are you doing here?" He leans forward, coughing, as he places his hands on his knees to steady himself. I wince at the painful sounds that are forced out of him. "Len, are you okay?" I try again.

"I'm fine, okay?" he pants, finally managing to stand up straight. "Just listen to me, Rin," he starts.

"How far were you running?" I interrupt. "Len! You can't do this to yourself!"

"Rin!" he shouts, placing a hand firmly on my shoulder. I watch in silence as his teal eyes harden as he stares intently at me. "Rin, look…" he trails off, "I'm sorry, okay?" he tells me.

"_Y-You're_ sorry?" I ask, "Look, I was the one who should have found a better time to tell you, okay? Don't blame this on yourself, alright? It's not your fault," I say softly, taking his hand and pushing it away from me.

"It's not your fault either," he points out.

"What do you mean?" I ask, "I was the one who brought you to-"

"Rin," he stops me, "It's not your fault, okay?" he repeats. This time his voice is strong and secure, lacking the instability that it usually has. "Alright?" he asks. I quickly nod my head. "Okay, look, we need to find out more about this. I say we go and find more information about our family," he suggests.

"Len, are you sure that's a good idea?" I ask, my voice shaking.

"Rin, just trust me," he says, his sharp eyes relaxing into a sea of azure. I swallow as he holds my gaze. _Since when was Len like this? He was always so… careless and casual._

"Len, you've changed," I point out bleakly.

"I know," he responds. "I-I'm sorry," he whispers.

"You don't need to be sorry," I remind him. Suddenly, both our faces break out into grins. I let out a laugh and he does the same, his eyes twinkling. "So, should we start with Ann and Al?" I ask after clearing my throat.

"Yeah, that was pretty much my original idea," Len says. "Come on," he says, wrapping his fingers around mine. I let out a yelp as he yanks me down the sidewalk and down the street.

"Len!" I laugh, attempting to wriggle from his grasp. _He's so strong. He's even stronger than me! _"Len! Let me go!" I shriek in between laughter, drawing tangled attention from bystanders passing by. _Someone's stronger than me? This can't be happening. Not even my twin brother is allowed to be stronger than me. _He laughs as well as we keep running down the street like little kids, hands intertwined around each other's.

"So where is this house, exactly?" Len asks, slowing down. I finally slide my hand out from his.

"You've been there, you should know," I tease. He sticks his tongue out at me. _Never mind. He hasn't changed one bit._ "It's just down the street from here. But can we go get some food first?" I whine, tugging on his sleeve.

"You're so immature," he comments.

"Ah, yet _you _stuck your tongue out at me," I retort, "And ran down the street holding my hand." I watch smugly as he rolls his eyes, yet a small blush begins to sprinkle across his cheeks. "And now…" I pause deviously for emphasis, "You're _blushing, _Len!" I giggle, poking his cheek. He sticks his tongue in his cheek, pushing my finger away.

"Am _not_," he murmurs, turning his face away from me. "That's… stupid," he adds. _Why would he even be blushing?_

"Like, why would you even be blushing?" I ask playfully, echoing my thoughts. He still doesn't look at me. "Len," I say, "Earth to Len!" I wave my hand forcefully in front of his face. The blush suddenly goes away. "Come on Len! Stop acting so stupid!" I laugh, flapping my fingers in front of his nose.

"Don't you ever know when you're crossing the line, Rin?!" Len suddenly snaps. I draw in a breath.

"Len-"

"Okay, look? Rin, I love you as a twin sister and all, but…" he starts irately. Suddenly, he's cut off by… his sudden facial expression. Something like… Unhappy…? I've never been too good at reading faces… "But have you ever considered that maybe before I learned about us being related…" he continues. _Where is he going with this? _I give him a confused look, signaling for him to finish the sentence. "Maybe I loved you as more than a twin sister," he finishes quietly. I wait in silence until he lets out a deep breath.

"L-Len…" I start. _I had no idea… yet for some reason… the whole time… this was what I had hoped for… why?! _"I don't know what to say," I mumble, avoiding his eyes. _Why?_ In… and out… In… and out… In and out… In and out. In and out. In and out! In and out! Inandout! _Inandout!_

"Rin?!" Len asks, placing two hands on my shoulders to steady my trembling body. "Rin, are you okay?" he asks, his eyes widening with fear.

"I'm fine," I say, beginning to balance my respiration. Still not returning his gaze, I lightly push Len's hands off of my shoulders. Slowly, his face falls into a hurt look.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're right, I'm stupid," he shrugs.

"Len!" I say, "No! I didn't mean it! You're not-"

"Just forget I ever said anything, 'kay?" he says blandly, turning and walking away from me with his hands in his short pockets.

"Len…" I whisper. _What is wrong with me? _

"You coming or not?" he asks, shaking his head, his shaggy blonde hair falling around his face. I wordlessly quicken my stride, rushing to catch up with him.

"Len, I'm sorry… again," I say. Only the sounds of silence follow. _What happened to 'it's not your fault'? Oh, right. It is._

_Maybe I loved you as more than a twin sister… loved or _love_? And to think… It was only a couple days ago when my friends were teasing me about my crush on Len… _how _could I even like my twin brother?_

* * *

**Oh hello there again! Sorry, wasn't really sure how to end this chapter... :/  
But alas! (Felt like using that word) My plans for the next chapter are like... *Cackles again* remember Gumi's "revenge quote"?**

**Mmhmm. That's where I'm goin' with this. :P**

**Eating: Nothing  
Drinking: THIS IS THE SAME AS LAST TIME! STOP ASKING MEEEE! D:**

**Sorry. Whoops. :3**


	25. Chapter 25 - Miku

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**-Miku-**

The second I wake up, I see Gumi… leaning over my face! "Gumi!" I shriek, climbing away from her like a spider. She lets out a laugh and flips her hair. _Why is she already dressed? What's going on? _

"Surprise!" she sings, throwing her eyes to the ceiling in frenzied excitement. She then pulls her sleeves down like a magician. "I hope you didn't have any plans today, because…" she starts mysteriously. Suddenly, Rin and Luka both jump into my room with huge smiles on their faces.

"We're going to the beach!" they all shout at once. I sit upright in confusion as they all erupt into giggles. _How did…?_

"We spent all morning planning that," Gumi says, pushing a laughing Rin off her shoulder. _Hmm? Ah, yes. _"And that's not even the half of it," she adds with a slight cackle.

"Huh?" Luka asks, "I thought that was it… wait, what?"

"Oh, no? What?" Gumi asks, her face suddenly innocent with a cute smile. "I didn't say anything," she adds, her grin widening. I watch in confusion as she gives Luka a wink. Luka still shakes her head in confusion.

"Mmkay," she says matter-of-factly, "Whatever. Well, Miku, you should probably take a shower and go get dressed into your swimsuit."

"You might want to wear a little something over it though," Rin adds, "See? We're all doing that!" She reaches under her thick tank top strap to pull out a thinner yellow and white striped swim top strap.

"So will it just be the four of us?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Nope," Gumi says deviously, "Piko's coming too. Oh, and Len." Suddenly, she directs her smirk at me. "Oh that's right, we also invited Kaito," she laughs manically. I let out a scoff.

"_Why _would you do that? Gumi!" I groan, smacking her shoulder.

"You'll thank us later," she giggles. "Now go get your swimsuit on, we've got a heck of a day in front of us!"

"So where are the boys?" I ask, sliding out of the car and closing the door behind me. Gumi, Luka and Rin do the same.

"Can't wait to see Kaito, I observe," Gumi laughs, pulling her white shorts up over her green and white polka dot bikini.

"T-That's not true," I stammer. _Change the subject! _"So what are you guys planning on doing?" I ask.

"I'm just going to tan," Luka shrugs, leaning our walk down to the shore, "I think I need it," she adds, holding out her hand to study her complexion.

"High five!" Gumi grins, slapping Luka's outstretched hand. "I'm just here to relax!" she sighs, throwing her head up to the cloudless vast blue sky.

"I don't see how you guys can go to the beach and not swim!" Rin complains, shaking her head.

"Maybe you and Len can swim together!" Gumi swoons, placing her hands over her heart and winking.

"I don't think so," Rin says, shaking her head. _Why can't Rin and Len just get along anymore? I wasn't the only one who saw them the other day, right?_

"There they are," chuckles a low voice. I snap my head up in attention to see Len, Kaito, and Piko making their way over to us. _And there's Kaito… In all his shirtless glory… _

"Hey," Luka says, waving. "How long were you guys waiting?" she asks coolly, adjusting her baggy jean jacket.

"Not long," Kaito shrugs, "Only about five minutes."

"Great," Luka smiles, tossing her long watery pink tresses behind her back.

"There's this cool smoothie shop over there," Piko suggests, jabbing his thumb behind his shoulder. He looks at me. "Miki and I used to go there all the time," he tells me with a raise of his eyebrows. _When will he quit bringing up that girl? Something about her gives me a bad feeling…_

"Oh, that's right!" Luka says, raising her chin, "I just saw Miki yesterday," she smiles. "You know she's a model at the company I'm working at?" she asks. Piko's eyebrows rise in interest.

"I saw her yesterday too! And… she's a _model?_" Piko asks. "She never told me that," he adds, his eyes creasing.

"Oh," Luka shrugs lightheartedly.

"Well, let's go get some smoothies!" Gumi laughs, walking on alongside the shore. _Thank you, Gumi… You have no idea…_

"Blech, I'm going in the water!" Rin interrupts, "Anyone wanna join me?" she asks. I follow her gaze to Len's eyes.

"I guess I'll go too," Len gives in, walking up next to her as they shuffle their feet across the smooth white sand.

"Hold on, guys," I say, bending down. I stretch down and pull both of my white flip-flops off my feet. I lay down my fuzzy teal towel and set them on it. "Aren't you guys going to set down your towels too?" I ask, shaking my head. Luka and Gumi exchange a glance at their silliness and roll out their matching towels. _Yeah, when it comes to beachwear and accessories, we're pretty big on matching. _Luka's towel is pink and white striped, while Gumi's is the same but accented in green.

"Can we go now?" asks Kaito, throwing a look to Piko. _Why are you glaring at Piko? Nothing's his fault! _From the corner of my eye, I swear I can see Gumi smirking and winking at Kaito. _Must've been my imagination. This morning did not pass by without a scratch._ "I bet this smoothie shop won't be nearly as fun as the ice-cream shop, right?" Kaito laughs, grinning at me. I force a short laugh.

"Right," I say, giving him a convincing smile.

"Aw, Kaito took you out for ice-cream?" Gumi purrs, "That's so cute!" Suddenly, her eyes widen. "I-I mean," she chuckles nervously, "That was so um… nice of him!" she corrects herself quickly. She then adjusts her pink googles awkwardly while Kaito gives an uneasy smile. _I guess she couldn't even lose the goggles for three days. _

"Hey, Miku," Piko says quietly, grabbing my attention, "Come here for a second." I furrow my eyebrows as he motions for me to follow him. I quicken my stride in confusion, catching up to him. I can't help but look back at a sour-faced Kaito and an eye-rolling Gumi. _What's their problem? _

"Yeah?" I ask, adjusting my teal and blue striped bikini straps.

"Happy birthday," Piko says, his face breaking out into a smile. _That's all he wanted to say to me? _"I got you a present. One sec, kay?" he grins, reaching into the trunk of his car. _He got me a present?_

"Y-You didn't need to get me a-" I start.

"No, it's okay. I wanted to," he says, his lenient two-toned eyes soothing me. He pulls a teal gift bag out of his trunk. "Here, follow me," he says fondly, "There's this place I think you'll love."

I follow him wordlessly, my eyes up to the endless cerulean sky, without a trace of clouds. My bare feet sink into the smooth tiny grains of soft white sand as the salt-splashed water bobs back and forth, tumbling onto the shore and back out again. Only now do I start to realize what a beautiful day it is… _perfect. _

I discern our surroundings as I follow Piko up a gravel path between rows of plants that increase in density and green color. I don't even stop to question where we're going as we begin our ascent up the grassy hill through a grove of trees.

"We're almost there," he grins, the gift bag draping from his forefinger delicately. He swings it around as we begin to take the last steps to the top of the peak. _Where is he taking me? Why'd he want to give me my gift all the way up here? _"You're gonna love it," he says almost inaudibly. _What about our smoothies?_

"Why'd you choose this hill?" I ask as he runs up to the top.

"You'll see!" he calls back with a chuckle, sitting down at the peak. Shaking my head with bemusement, I jog up to the very top to join him. Suddenly, I can't help but draw in a deep breath as I see it- the most amazing view of anything I've ever seen…

The beautiful, sparkling, vibrant blue ocean smiles back at me as the amazing cloudless sky stretches as far as I can see. More seagulls than I can count soar above our heads as the trees around us sway in the cool summer breeze. The scent of oranges and saltwater draft by as I let out a sigh, taking in everything.

"P-Piko…" I start in awe.

"Well…" he grins up at me, motioning for me to continue. The twinkle in his eyes is so dazzling it could challenge the sparkle of the sun tickling the horizon. I sit down on the right of him so that he doesn't have to look up at me. I'm almost tempted to lean on his shoulder… "Isn't it great?" he asks.

"It's… awesome," I say, placing my hands on my lap and leaning forward. As the wind blows the away from us, patches of warm sunlight softly touch our skin. _The whole scene… right in front of my eyes… it's almost like something from a dream or a movie… _"I seriously wish I had a camera right now," I say, spreading out my fingers into a rectangle in front of my face and squinting. I pretend to click.

"Happy birthday, Miku, and may all of your wishes come true," Piko chuckles, reaching into the teal gift bag. He pulls out a shiny black digital camera marked Canon.

"Oh my god, Piko!" I nearly shout, placing my hands over my neckline. "How did you-? What?" I manage to laugh. He laughs as well, his lips curving up into a playful smirk.

"Hey, it's yours," he reminds me, placing the bag and the camera in my lap. "But wait, that's not all," he suddenly adds, reaching across me. He fumbles around in the bag for something, pulling out a boxed… USB cord?

"What's that for?" I ask.

"When you take pictures, you can save them to your computer and stuff," he shrugs, "I just thought it might come in handy, you know?"

"Thanks, Piko," I say as he places it into my hands, "Really." I put it into the bag. "This…" I pause to take a breath as my cheeks flush with warmth. "…Is probably the best birthday ever," I smile.

"Seriously?" he asks curiously, "What made it so great?"

"Oh, I don't know…" I shrug, "I mean, I got to go to _Paris… _which totally isn't something you get to do every year for your birthday," I chuckle, my eyebrows raised. "I… I got to see you again," I add quietly, avoiding his eyes. _I did _not _just say that… Oh no, there goes the blushing again…_

"I guess I could say that was one of my highlights too," Piko chuckles lightheartedly. Suddenly, I can feel two soft fingers brushing against my right cheek, gently pulling my head in the other direction toward Piko… whose cheeks are stained with a bleached pink, bringing out his silvery white hair which falls across his eyes shyly. Too reluctant to say anything, I watch as he pushes his bangs away from his eyes. _Those eyes…_

Silently, almost happening too slowly, Piko leans forward toward me, sending my heart reeling out of my chest as I come into realization of his next move. However, I still don't say anything. _Miku, he's going to…_ Suddenly, I lean forward and place my lips on his. _Hah, other way around. _It's not long before I find his strong hands pulling me closer to him.

Almost like a glistening clear river, memories of our childhood begin to flood my mind as our lips part. _I remember Kaito teasing him about being a shota… Gumi and Rin did it too… Pretty much everyone did… But not me… Was it possible that even back then, I-_

"So… how about those smoothies?" Piko interrupts with a raise of his eyebrows. A silence follows. Suddenly, we both burst into laughter and Piko leans over to peck at my cheek. I wave him away with a giggle, the spot where he kissed me filling with a blush. I push myself off the ground, camera in hand.

"Wait, I've gotta do something first," I say, turning on the camera and holding it out in front of my face. "This will make for a wonderful first photo," I grin. I click the button, capturing the beautiful endless ocean landscape in front of me. "Perfect," I whisper, my face breaking out into a smile.

"Yeah," he agrees quietly with a smile. As I look at him, his blush deepens as his heterochromatic eyes quickly dart from my gaze. _I guess he's still a shota at heart. _"You think they'll be wondering where we are?" he asks me, still not meeting my eyes.

"Meh," I shrug, leaning on his shoulders as we begin hiking down the hill. Soon, the sounds of seagulls calling are drowned out by our laughter and lighthearted chatter. _Forget Kaito… I wasn't even happy with Kaito… _This _is pure happiness. Just me and Piko._

_ But what about Gumi?_

* * *

**Yeah, what about her Miku? What'cha gonna do 'bout that, eh?**

**Sorry, don't have time for eating/drinking/etc.!**


	26. Chapter 26 - Gumi

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**-Gumi-**

"Mm-kay," I say, looking at my wrist as if I'm wearing a watch, "Where are those two?" I ask, rolling my eyes to the clear blue sky. "It's been like, three years since they left with that gift bag!"

"Hey, calm down, Gumi," Luka says with a wave of her hand. "Can't you put two and two together? Gift bag equals gift. Gift equals time," she says slowly, shaking her head with raised eyebrows. However, her eyes twinkle with laughter that tells me another story.

"Okay, so even if he is just giving her a gift, aren't you the least bit suspicious? I mean like, it's been ten minutes!" I say, leaning against the polished mahogany counter of the smoothie shop.

"I thought it's been three years," Luka points out, twisting her straw between her fingers.

"Oh, shut up!" I sneer, slamming my mango smoothie on the counter. _Why did I even order this rubbish?_

"Hey, Gumi," Kaito chuckles, placing a hand on the table in front of me, "I know you're jealous, but they'll be back in a minute," he sings. _What the-_

"Idiot!" I gasp, "I thought you were on _my _side!" He rolls his eyes with a playful grin. "Plus, aren't _you_ jealous too? Admit it!" I cackle. He shakes his head, leaning back in his barstool carelessly. Luka just rolls her eyes in bewilderment, twirling a strand of her long faded pink hair.

"You two are _killing _me," Luka groans, pushing herself off the seat in annoyance. She balances herself, walking away with her head held high. "I'm going to go tan. Gumi, if you finally come to your senses, you can join me. 'Kay?" she says with a quizzical raise of her sharp eyebrows. I just spin back around in my seat and shove the straw back in my mouth.

"Enjoying that smoothie?" Kaito laughs.

"Oh, shut up," I retort, facing the other way.

"What's gotten you so… blech?" he asks, his tone somewhat more serious. "I've never actually seen you like this to anyone other than Rin," he says, "What's up?"

"I'm just…" I start, searching for the right words. He sticks his neck out impatiently, waiting for me to continue. "Don't you kinda wish you were the one giving Miku that birthday present right now?" I ask, keeping my voice low.

"Gumi, you get jealous _way _too easily," Kaito says sadly, shaking his head. I clench a fistful of my bright green shoulder-length hair, tugging it from my scalp in frustration. "Although…" he starts. I slowly let go of my hair and look up in anticipation. "It would be nice," he shrugs nonchalantly.

"That's it?" I ask. "Nothing else?" I narrow my eyes. "_Nothing?_"

"Come on," he tells me, "You need to be more open to these kinds of things. It's just a birthday present and nothing more. What's the big deal anyway?"

"Of all people… wouldn't _you _understand?" I ask. "You mean… you're not even the slightest bit suspicious? I mean-"

"Hey," he says, patting my shoulder suddenly. "You know what you need? You need to get your mind off of this whole gift thing!" he grins. I raise an eyebrow suspiciously.

"What are you saying?"

"Come on, let's go watch a movie!" he says, raising his glass. He then brings it back down the counter and takes a sip, finishing the remains.

"A movie?" I repeat dumbly, my bottom eyelids rising. _What about Miku, Luka, Len and Rin… What about Piko?_ "Won't they notice when we're gone?" I ask hesitantly. Kaito's eyes flicker with mischief.

"Ah, but see…" he chuckles, "That's the fun of it." _What the heck is that supposed to mean? _I open my mouth to object, but he beats me to it. "Come on! Don't be such a stinker!" he laughs. I narrow my eyebrows as he throws me a wink. I reach to drink the last of my smoothie, only to find it in Kaito's hands.

"Hey!" I shout, "Give me my smoothie back, idiot!" He laughs, yet the playful joking edge loosens me up a little. "Fine, you know what? I didn't want it much anyway," I say, smoothing down the frilly ruffles on my green and white striped bikini. He twirls the straw in between his fingers and takes a slow, savory sip.

"At least it wasn't a waste," he chuckles lowly. I narrow my eyebrows. _Come, on! Don't be such a stinker… _His words circle around my head, repeating themselves over and over and over again.

"Fine. Let's go watch your stupid movie," I give in with a roll of my eyes.

"Giving up so easily?" he laughs, pushing himself off the chair. "Alright, your choice. What movie?" I bite my lip softly, taking a moment to think. He waits patiently as I press my finger onto my chin.

"Um…" I start, "Can I have a little time to think?" I ask enthusiastically, raising a finger. His expression falls.

"Seriously? Come on," he says, "If you don't decide now, it's gonna be a horror movie? I mean, what's better mental rest than Insidious?"

"No! That movie _sucks!_" I say, shuddering at the recollections from the time that Rin dragged me into the theater three years ago when we were fresh into thirteen- just old enough to watch it. "Can't we watch something like… like…?" I pause, making pointless hand motions just to stall my thinking, "Like…"

"Alright, Insidious it is. In fact, we're gonna go home and watch every single horror movie I've got!" Kaito chuckles, tugging on my hand like a kid. I roll my eyes, trying to pull away from his grasp, only to be tugged out onto the sand and away from the shore. _There is no way that this can possibly even attempt to end up well._

Suddenly, as the young girl- it's a shame, she's only eight years old- walks forward slowly, the camera pans to her blank face. However, her one missing eye shines bright, white nothing seeping out of it. Static resounds as she continues walking, her once cute and innocent brown pigtails now ragged and falling apart. Her once white dress is now dyed completely in red, masked in horrid bloodstains.

_These kinds of things… do not sit with me well. _"Kaito…" I whisper, my eyes cemented to the TV screen. After countless seconds of not answering me, I tug on his sleeve and try again. "Kaito…" I shriek in between clenched teeth.

"What?" he asks, tearing his graze abruptly from the movie.

"C-Can we watch something else?" I ask, swallowing down the fear and shoving the image away from my mind. I watch uncomfortably as his lips pull up into a smirk. _It's always the smirk that kills…_

"You're scared, aren't you?" he asks. _Is my trembling body not enough evidence? Is my stuttering not a dead giveaway? What about the fact that I haven't touched my popcorn since we finished Friday the 13__th__? _"Come on," he teases, "What's even there to be afraid of, anyway?" I gasp at the audacity of the question as he leans back on the couch arm in contentment.

"Everything!" I shout, shoving a finger in his face. He crosses his eyes in toward his nose, though I'm too flabbered to laugh. "I mean what if Jason actually comes after me?! A-And that other movie! I will never look at trees in the winter the same way _ever _again, thanks to you!" I screech. He gently pushes my finger away from his face.

"It's just a _movie, _Gumi," he reminds me. I open my mouth to say something, but something about the soft look in his eyes tells me that… I shouldn't. Instead, I kick my feet up against his coffee table and cross my arms stubbornly.

"I swear…" I mumble under my breath, letting out a heavy breath that sends my bangs flying away from my face.

"Girls can be so stupid sometimes," he finishes with a chuckle. _Hah, he didn't actually just say that… right?_ _Right?!_

Faster than either of us can process, I reach over and fling my palm across his cheek. Radiating with anger, I watch as his cheek fills with red. However, it's only his left cheek that turns red… _I didn't actually just slap him _that _hard… right? Right?!_

"Hey!" he yelps, grabbing his left cheek with his hands, "What was that for?"

"Eh, just something I've been wanting to do for a while," I shrug, playing it further, only to earn a flick in the face from Kaito. Much to his dismay, I simply flash a cute innocent smile along with a bouncy giggle. "It's a shame that that little girl's about to go on a killing spree," I shrug, directing his eyes back to the screen.

"Just waiting to pick up that knife…" Kaito says, his expression suddenly falling to one of fear. "This next part always takes me by surprise," he says, shifting slightly closer to me. _What next part-_

Suddenly, screams fill the heavy air as the girl yanks her fingers off the knife in shock- yet her expression remains blank. _Does she not have emotions? Is it all in her head…? _I gasp in revulsion as the white mist of a ghost flies out of the knife, choking the girl in-

"Hey, Gumi…" Kaito starts. I look up in confusion at his red cheeks. _I don't recall slapping him in the right one too… _"You can let go of me now," he says, with a pointed raise of his eyebrows. I draw in a silent breath as I take in my current stance- my fingers are wrapped around Kaito's shoulder, my knees resting on his lap as I tightly clutch the fabric of his shirt. Quicker than lighting, I feel heat soaring to my cheeks as I position myself off him.

"Sorry," I start, brushing off the imaginary dust on my neckline. He chuckles, playing it off as if the whole thing hadn't even bothered him.

"I guess I can't help being so cool that I've got girls clinging to me left and right," he says, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

"Oh, so you want pain in your right cheek, too?" I ask, offering my hand.

"N-No," he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. _Like, seriously? I can't _possibly _be the only one who notices that every guy does that!_

"Plus, come on!" I say, starting my rage, "I mean… Miku doesn't even like you like that!" I shriek, making pointless crazy hand motions, "Can't you see she's totally into Piko?" I ask, rolling my eyes up to the ceiling.

"Hey, Gumi…" Kaito trails off. _Crap. I just said something really, really bad, didn't I?_

"Sorry, never mind. I-I didn't mean it…" I trail off awkwardly, sinking down into the couch. "I-I… yeah…" I sigh. _Way to go, Gumi._

"Mm," he nods. Suddenly, we exchange a glance as I watch a small glimmer of spirit rise within his expression. "But, I mean," he shrugs, "It's not like you've got a chance with shota boy or anything." He watches with a smug look on his face as my jaw drops.

"That's it! You earned it!" I shout, bringing all my force upon his right cheek. Kaito reels back in pain, clutching it tightly from the sudden outbreak. "But I've gotta hand it to you," I giggle haughtily, "That was good."

Suddenly, I feel something on _my _right cheek- something soft and damp brushing across- yet the force is so… delicate. Almost hesitantly, I shift my eyes to see Kaito pulling away from me. I as put the pieces together, I am left with these words- "Kaito! What was _that_ for?"

"Eh," he replies with a laugh, "Just something I've been wanting to do for a while."

_Kaito Shion just… kissed me. Was that his plan all along? To bring me into fear by watching horror movies, and then cling to him… on accident? A-And then flirt with me unknowingly? A-And then… kiss me?! Maybe when winter comes, I won't be afraid of the bare trees reaching out their scrawny branches to try to kill me…_

_ …But the past ten seconds will no doubt flood my nightmares instead._

* * *

**Ahh! Forgive me! I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this... but isn't it fun? :D**

**Eating: Waffles  
Drinking: Chocolate Milk  
Doing: Publishing, eating breakfast  
Homework: Done. *insert serious face*  
Listening to: Nothing :(  
Quote time: "...But the past ten seconds will no doubt flood my nightmares instead." - Gumi**

**Haha! Rinny-chan is coming up! :)**


	27. Chapter 27 - Rin

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**-Rin-**

As my bare feet stride across the glistening white sand, speckled with tiny fragments of shells, the waves lap up across them. The water is surprisingly warm. Too bad Gumi, Miku, and Luka are all missing out on this. I look up toward the sizzling sun to see Len splashing through the shallow water across the shore.

"Len!" I call, shielding my eyes with my hand. He looks up at me, his azure eyes matching the ocean perfectly. "Hey!" I say, my feet sinking into the soft white sand as I make my way across the shore and into the water.

The warm, salty blue water splashes up against my ankles as I draw deeper, only for me to realize that Len's not so deep either. I squint as I see… _No, that can't be right. Who is that? _A green-haired little kid with the cutest little bucktooth comes out from behind Len, swinging his arms and bringing the water up with him. He giggles and hops around, playing in the water joyfully. _Aw…_

"Len!" I call again, waving my arms as I tread through the ocean at a quicker pace. This time, he looks up at me through his shaggy blonde hair. I can't help but break into a smile as I reach him. "Who's this?" I ask, bending down to match the height of the younger child. He stops and looks up at me with curious eyes.

"This is Ryuto," Len answers with a chuckle.

"Hey!" I grin at the kid. "What's up?"

"This is my sister, Rin," Len introduces me, pointing to me with his thumb. _This is my sister, Rin… For some reason, that still doesn't sound right… I guess I just have to get used to it. _By the faintly troubled expression on Len's face, I can tell his thoughts are identical to mine.

"Ryuto!" A voice abruptly calls across the beach. The three of us turn around to see a tall woman waving to us, matching his lively green hair. I smile as she approaches us holding a golden-colored towel. _Hmm. She looks a bit like Gumi to me. _"Hi," she smiles warmly toward Len and me. She then looks down at Ryuto with a sad look on her face. "I'm afraid it's time to go," she says, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We have to pick up your sister from her soccer game."

"Aww man," Ryuto wails, stomping in the sand.

"Say bye to your friends," the mother reminds him, once again glancing at us with a friendly smile.

"Bye, Len! Bye Rin!" Ryuto calls, his waving arms soaring over his head as he rushes out of the water. His mother follows, keeping her warm smile as she heaves the towel farther up into her grasp.

"Aww, he was so adorable," I giggle, once they're out of earshot. "I didn't know you were good with kids," I say. He shrugs.

"Me neither," he says nonchalantly. "For some reason, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you," he sighs, looking up into the blue sky. I take a moment to think. _But… why? Maybe… it's me too…_

"Yeah," I agree, "Same here." I tilt my head enthusiastically, snapping his attention away from the sky. "Hey, how about we go a little deeper? I mean, the little kid is _gone,_" I point out. Len's face suddenly contorts up into a frown.

"No! I uh… like it here," he says hurriedly, his eyes widening. I relax my eyebrows, biting my lip.

"Why? Don't you want to _swim?_" I ask.

"N-No way! Plus, uh…" he stammers, "Isn't it nice just walking up here?" he asks, his contorted expression growing tighter.

"Come _on _Len," I say, grabbing his hand and tugging him out into the deeper water. "Why don't you want to go into the _actual _water?" I ask, rolling my eyes. He struggles to release his sweaty hand from my grasp.

"N-No! Rin! _Please, _no!" he whines, suddenly yanking his hand free as fear takes over his wrinkled blue eyes. "Like, actually, don't!" he says softly when I remain silent.

"Why not? You're not… afraid, are you?" I ask with a tilt of my head, my short golden hair shadowing my eyes. _Because that would be stupid, _I add in my head, _we're sixteen, Len. Grow up. _

"No!" he says. I shoot him a look. "Okay, fine. I just… I just don't know how to swim, okay?" he asks, his quivering voice dropping. "_Please _don't tell anyone!" he interrupts quickly, stopping me from opening my mouth by placing a shaking finger over my lips. "Okay?" he asks, his voice now soft. _Now _he's_ acting like a little kid._

"L-" I start. I watch intensely as his turquoise eyes begin to fall into the wobbly rhythm of his perspiring hands. "Okay. I… I won't tell anyone," I say. _I feel so… offended… that he _actually_ had to ask me not to tell anyone… But then again, really, why should I feel offended? He knows from sharing sixteen years with me that I can't keep my mouth shut for anyone, but why do I feel so bad now…?_

"Thank you, Rin," he says, letting out a breath that steadies his shaking body. "But, um…" he falters, forcing his eyes on mine, clearly intimidated by… _Why does he look so scared? I already said I wouldn't tell anyone! _"C-Can you uh…" he starts limply. It's not long before I begin to focus on his intensifying breaths as they grow heavier and heavier. _In and out…. Is there a chance that he does this too?_

"Can I _what?_" I ask, yet it comes out sounding harsher than I intended it to. His eyes widen as he begins shaking his head.

"Nothing, okay, Rin?" he sighs, "You couldn't help me anyway."

"What do you mean?" I ask nearly silently. _The more he goes on, the more he offends me… why?_ "I'll definitely help you! You're my brother! Of course!" I say.

"Oh, so that's why you'll help me," he says, looking up to the sky in annoyance and tapping his forehead, "Because I'm your _brother,_" he adds slowly, this time being the one to shoot _me _a look.

"L-Len, that's not what I-"

"So you wouldn't have helped me anyway?" he cuts me off harshly. I draw in a sharp gasp of salty air as his words sting me- _hard._ "You mean, literally _five days ago_ you wouldn't have helped me?" he points out with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Len! Stop! Please!" I say, pathetically tugging his arm down. My unblinking rough eyes rest on his throat as he swallows.

"I just wanted to know how to swim, Rin," he says limply, his eyes falling down to the shallow water below.

"Come on. I'll help you," I say suddenly. He looks up at me in shock. "I promise," I add before he can object. He sighs and nods. "But the first step," I hum, tugging at his arm gently, "Is to go further out into water that's a little deeper than this, Len."

"I'm not sure if that's a-"

"Come on, Len," I say playfully. "You've got to learn how to do this. I'm going to help you, okay?" I ask, my tone falling to be a bit more serious.

"Since when-?"

"Len, shush!" I silence him with a laugh.

"Fine," he huffs, not even noticing that the water is already past his knees. Soon, it's up to his thighs… and then his waist.

"See," I point out, coming to a stop, "You're doing just fine," I entice him. I cup my hand, getting a handful of salt water and flicking it at his chest. He chuckles.

"Alright, fine," he shrugs, "So it's not _that _bad." As his eyes dart shyly to the water below, I notice… a scar… scratching up the side of his waist. He then pulls his black swim trunks up to cover it. I open my mouth to say something, but then I stop. _It's not nice to point out things like this… but what kind of scar _is _that? It's huge! _Instead, I change the conversation.

"So, why didn't you know how to swim in the first place?" I ask lightly.

"I-I'd… rather not talk about it," he answers quietly, with a dismissive toss of his wrist.

"Hey, Len," I say, waiting for his eyes to meet mine, "Don't forget I'm your sister _and _your friend. You shouldn't be afraid to talk to me sometimes," I offer with a persuading warm-hearted smile.

"You're right," he agrees. "So… my parents…" he starts, "Oh, I'm really not good at these kinds of things. How do I even put this?" he asks. I wait patiently for him to go on. "My parents… are kind of… um… they hate me," he sighs.

"Well, don't every teenager's parents hate them?" I laugh, poking him in the shoulder playfully. He doesn't laugh back.

"Yeah, but it's kind of hard growing up assuming that every kid's parents _abuse _them, Rin," he says seriously. I take a silent breath in and out as his heavy words sink in.

"You mean… my… a-aunt and uncle are like that?" I ask, trying to find the right position to place them in. _Remember, Len and I are legally cousins now, we were just _born _as twins… Gah! This whole thing is just too confusing!_

"You don't get it, Rin," Len shrugs dejectedly, "I mean, why do you think you've never met them before?"

"Oh, that's… that's right," I say, pushing my fingers together in thought, "Rei and Rui wouldn't have wanted me to meet Rinto and Lenka for fear that I might get hurt or something," I mumble. _Using their names doesn't make anything easier._

"Sorry… that I just kind of… dumped that on you so suddenly," Len says.

"No, don't be. It's not nearly as bad as me starting this whole thing, right?" I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Right?" I falter, looking down. _Just give it up already. It can't even get more awkward than it already is._

Suddenly, I feel a pair of soft lips brushing up against mine as strands of even softer golden hair lightly touch my face. _Len… he's… kissing me… It's so…_ I return the kiss, wrapping my hands around his neck. _Different… Why am I letting this happen? What happened to simple rules?_ Waiting for more, I close my eyes as he pushes up against me for a second time, his fingers running through my silky, thin hair and across my cheek. We both breathlessly pull back as his eyes widen.

"Rin… I am so, so, sorry…" he starts, placing a hand on the side of his forehead, "I didn't- I shouldn't have- I just-" he stammers, his entire face growing red.

"Len, _why_?" I manage to breathe out. "What were you thinking?" I ask. _What was _I _thinking? Why didn't I pull away sooner?_

"I dunno…" he sighs, "I _wasn't_ thinking. Just please… don't be mad, okay?" he splutters. I sigh even louder, crossing my arms across my chest.

"I'm not sure if I'm mad or if I'm…" I start, digging through my already racing thoughts for any word other than 'happy'. "Or if I'm… _anything else!_" I hiss. He lets out a breath, his Carolina blue eyes sinking to a dull periwinkle.

"I'm sorry, just…"

"I'm not mad," I say quietly, my shaky monotone voice cutting him off. "I'm not mad," I repeat again, this time with more strength. _In and out… In and out… _"If anything, this is more my fault," I say in between forced breaths. _In and out… In and out. In and out. _"Not the fact that you kissed me, but the fact that it's a _problem_," I clarify when he doesn't say anything. _In and out. Inandout. Inandout. Inandout! Inandout! INANDOUT!_

"Rin, you're hyperventilating!" Len says quickly, straightening out my trembling shoulders. "Rin! I'm sorry. Just look at me okay?" he asks, tilting my chin up and looking into my eyes. "Just breathe slowly, and _only _when I tell you to," he instructs me seriously, his fingers running down to my shoulder. "Breathe in…" he utters, his eyes focused on mine. I draw in a long, deep breath. "Breathe out…" The sound of all the air in me being let out undulates as Len steadies me again. "Breathe in…" he says again. I take in another deep breath. _Why is he doing this? _"Breathe out…" he whispers, his eyes softening. I let it out, but this time my breath is smooth and steady. "Are you okay?" he asks, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear with his free hand.

"I'm fine," I sigh.

"Good," he smiles, giving my shoulder a squeeze and letting go.

"Why did you…" I start quietly.

"It's just always something that my older sister Lily used to do to me when my breathing would get out of control. It always helped, but now I guess I've learned to do it myself since she's gone now," he shrugs.

"W-Where is she?" I ask worriedly, pictures of my aunt and uncle flashing through my head. _Please don't say-_

"She's away in college. Somewhere in Massachusetts," he says, not meeting my eyes.

"Oh," I sigh of relief as we begin walking back to the shore. "Harvard?" I ask with a tilt of my head. He nods quickly. "Impressive," I say. "Hey, what about swimming?" I ask as the water around my moving feet grows shallower.

"Maybe we can do that another day," he says, a light smile brushing across his face.

"Good idea," I agree, finding my hand tangled into his as the sun seems to shine even brighter. "Maybe another day…"

* * *

**Ahh! Sorry, I didn't exactly, erm, know how to end this chapter... But I did! :)**

**So, Lenny-chan and Rinny-chan finally kissed.  
I think you can tell who comes next after this.  
Do you see the pattern? It grows and grows.  
I think Luka's left with that evil Gakupo.**

*Snickers*

**Eating: Nothing  
Drinking: Nothing  
Doing: Publishing (my life is so boring, I know)  
Homework: UMM, YES.  
Listening to: My brother trying to play guitar  
Quote time: "Maybe another day..." - Rin**

***Yawns* I should probably go eat something now...**

**Thanks for reading! WOAH, stop whatever you're doing and REVIEW. Yes, I'm talking to you. What? Don't just stare at me like that. STOP. Just, go review. I like reviews. They make me happy. PLEASE review. Stop reading this.**

**I know you're still reading this.**

**Y'know what? You really know how to annoy an author. Bye.**

**I said BYE!**


	28. Chapter 28 - Luka

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**-Luka-**

_Gumi. Why is she so… _Gumi_ sometimes? I swear, if she- Ouch. _I look up in front of me through my cloudy thoughts to see someone- _woah, he's not bad-_ standing baffled in front of me.

"Woah, watch where yo-" he starts with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, that was… that was uh, my fault," he says, placing a hand to his chest after running his gaze up and down me.

"Sorry," I say, my hands finding my way to my hair to pull it back in front of my shoulder. "I should really start watching out," I admit with a light giggle. I walk past him with my gaze toward the sky, only for my shoulder to be tugged back around. "Wh-" I start, my eyebrows furrowing.

"N-No, I mean, I kind of owe you," he cuts me off, his hazel eyes fiery and fierce. _What the-_

"N-No, please don't! You really don't!" I counter, shaking my head and forcing my feet hurriedly away from him. Again, my shoulder is pulled back, this time with stronger force. _What is up with him?_ "What?" I ask, my tone mirroring the intensity of his eyes.

"Come on," he says, tilting his head, "I know there's something you want. Money?" he offers, holding out his hands amusingly. "Let's see, what do girls like…" he mumbles to himself. "Clothes?" he finally says, raising his eyebrows. I simply narrow my eyes. "I mean… you're just fine without 'em," he chuckles.

"You know what? I'll pass," I say rudely, spinning around as my long pink hair flies behind my back. _Gross. Pervert. And this bikini is just fine, thank you. _"Although…" I sing, turning back around and running my fingers through my hair for effect. _Oh god, what on earth made me think this was good idea? _"There is one thing I would like…" I continue with a huff. _Here it goes. _"Since you are oh _so _eager to pay me back for whatever the heck I did," I throw in a fake laugh, "There _is _this friend I'd like to get back at," I wink. _Sometimes my mouth really hates me._

"Ah, I knew it," he laughs. "So, tell me about this… friend," he chuckles, his blazing copper eyes glowing even brighter. _Is that even possible? _

"Well… How about we talk over smoothies?" I ask. _I don't even know this guy. What am I doing? _

"Sounds good," he smirks, his feet dragging over the white sand. "I was just about to go surf, but I mean… this sounds fine too," he shrugs. _Okay, now he's just bragging. _

"You know," I say, tossing my hair behind my back elegantly, "I surf too."

"Do you really?" he asks, turning to face me and stopping midstride, his pink hair shaking across his head.

"Pfft… no!" I giggle, "I can't play a sport to save my life," I admit, my eyes racing up to the sky.

"Well, at least _you _know that surfing is a sport," he shrugs, "A lot of girls don't."

"Who said I was-" I start. _Nope, that's a comeback reserved for only Rin, Miku, and Gumi. Ah, Gumi._ "Nevermind," I shake it off, "But anyway," I say, facing the smoothie shop. However, Gumi and Kaito are nowhere to be seen. "Hold on," I whisper, craning my neck. Nope. _Where are they?_

_Gumi seemed pretty mad just a few minutes ago when I was with her… Kaito seemed to be in a joking mood… But where are they now? _Suddenly, suspicious theories begin flooding into my head. _Maybe they're hanging out without me! That's just another reason to get back at Gumi. Maybe they found Miku and Piko and are giving Miku even more birthday presents. I thought I told Gumi that we were all going to give Miku her present _together. _Maybe they're doing something stupid… like making out in a cl- Y'know what? Relax, Luka…_

_ Gumi probably just went to go find Miku and Piko herself… and Kaito, well, Kaito probably just wants ice-cream. I'm sure nobody's in any closets._

"You okay?" I hear a voice, derailing my train of thought. _Oh right, lover-boy is here._

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh with a shake of my head. However, the blinding image of Kaito and Gumi together still lingers in my thoughts. _How is it that _she _has a boyfriend and I don't? _Instantaneously, I find my head facing the boy next to me. He gives me a short smile, acknowledging me kindly. _Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're not going to even _think _about asking out some random guy you just met at the beach. And everybody knows that vacation-dates are a don't. _

_ Then why is Miku so happy with Piko?_

_ Oh, there's no way she'll be happy by the time that these remaining five days are over… Oh gosh… I have to talk her out of this… _now!

"Alright… whatever-your-name-is," I stammer, "I really have to go find someone. Bye," I add quickly, rushing off in a hurry. _Oh, I don't even know where the girl is. Where exactly did Piko lead her with that perfectly-matching gift bag and that wholehearted smile? What was even in that perfectly-matching gift bag? Come on, you're getting so off topic right now. I just have to find M-_

"Can I go with you?" he asks. I roll my eyes. _Won't he give up? _

"Nope," I sigh, not even bothering to look at him.

"I'll pay for your smoothie," he offers.

"Forget it," I sing, quickening my pace.

"I'll pay for your clothes," he says in between suppressed snickering. I turn around, biting my lip furiously.

"You know what," I say slowly and dreadfully, each word gaining more and more rage. "Just leave me alone, okay? You're really starting to bother me!" I say, pointing out the oh-_so _obvious. "Just let me find my friend _alone_," I say, stretching out the word alone. I watch as his eyes fall and his smirk drops. Only the faint sounds of waves lapping onto the shore fill the air as I hold his stare.

"Alright, fine," he shrugs after a while, though his voice isn't as… edgy as it was before. _Nice one, Luka. You should really start working on your people skills again. Not just with professional business people… but with idiots like him, too._

"Good," I mumble under my breath, walking off into who-knows-where. I seem to be simply leading myself up a hill filled with a grove of trees lining a human-made path. _That's strange… I don't remember seeing this when we drove up here… This is lovely though… the perfect secret place for two romantics to spend time toge- Oh my gosh, they're up here!_

Suddenly, I can feel verve hastening through my legs as I break out into a run, continuing up the path. I can practically hear the laughter from the two. _Miku's going to hate me when I break them up… But I guess it's for her own good. I wouldn't want _him_ breaking up with _her, _now would I? No way… She'd take it harder that way. It's her birthday. The last thing we want is for her to fall into sadness like she did when Kaito stopped talking to her…_

_ Why can't she realize that Kaito-_

* * *

As my eyelashes begin to untangle from my eyes, one by one, I begin to regain my blurry vision. _Where… What just-_

"She's awake," I hear an unfamiliar voice circling above my head. I blink a couple times, trying to focus my vision on the looming figure in front of me. Cloudy shapes and hazy colors begin to clear up one at a time, creating what I think is… Piko?

"What happened to me?" I ask, suddenly jerking up as my hands clench onto the soft blades of sandy grass below.

"You're… hurt…" Piko starts. Suddenly, I can see Miku standing by my side as well with a troubled countenance, fingering her strands of teal hair in worry. I notice her other hand is… linked with Piko's arm…

"Where… Where am I?" I stammer as my vision fully returns to normal, though my eyes still hurt. I blink a couple more times to loosen up the feeling. "What happened to me?" I repeat frantically.

"We heard you fall on the hill back there and we got really worried and we just want to know if you're okay! What were you even doing back there anyway? Were you looking for us? W-We weren't doing anything!" Miku splutters suddenly, her expression collapsing in angst.

"I told you, I'm fine," I say, pushing my arms up off the ground and trying to stand up, only to be warned by a searing pain in my right knee and calf. I let out a wail as I am immersed in the horrifying pain that I begin to fall into. "M-Mi… AHH!" I scream out, trying to revert to my previous position, only to feel the same aching pain swallowing up my body.

"Oh my gosh, Luka!" Miku squeals, "Don't try to stand up! Don't you know that's bad for you?!" she asks, clinging to Piko as her uneasiness deepens. I look down to see open scars scratching up my legs, mostly on my right. _How did this happen so fast? I guess it's funny how you only feel the pain that you see. _Only now does it begin to _really_ hurt. I cling to my leg in desperation.

"Can't any of you get _anything_ to stop this bleeding?" I wail, as discomfort rushes through my entire body down to the tips of my toes. Miku, letting go of Piko, rushes off in a hurry down the hill, being careful not to trip and fall where I did. In no time, I am left with Piko.

"Just sit tight," he says softly, kneeling down next to me, "She'll be back in a second, okay?" I swallow down the burning pain through my dry throat and let out a sharp gasp from the pain. "Don't move," he reminds me. I freeze where I am.

"It hurts," I whine, clenching my teeth. _I must have cut my leg on one of those trees or something. _I've only ever fallen once in my life before…_ I guess I've never felt real pain like this. _"Piko…" I mumble his name through excruciating breaths.

"Just… whatever you do, don't try and stop the bleeding with the grass. The sand might get in your cuts and hurt you even more," he advises me, his hand prolonged in front of him. I nod quickly. _Oh, this is uncomfortable…_

"I-It hurts a bit less…" I start, turning my neck in an angle where I can get a better look at my injury. He sighs a heavy breath of relief. Suddenly, a shadow comes across his widening eyes.

"L-Luka, you told me you were a model, right?" he asks frantically. I nod my head quickly, my long strands of chrysanthemum pink hair bouncing around me as pieces of mud and sand fall lay tangled in. "Do you have any upcoming shows or anything here?" he asks. _Holy crap… he's right… I won't be able to- No, there's no way. NO!_ "Luka, are you okay?"

"No! I'm not okay!" I gasp, my shoulders rising, "My show is _tomorrow,_ Piko," I inform him, my tone dropping darkly. "I can't do it. I _have _to drop out."

"B-But… what about the money? Didn't you guys have to make up the stolen money?" he reminds me, "Weren't the earnings from your modeling part of your plan?" I smack my head on my forehead. _He's right. If I drop out of modeling, I won't make the show. If I'm not in the show, I'm not getting paid. If I'm not paid, I'm not going to be able to pay for-_

"Ugh!" I cry out, "We're never going to make it back home!" Piko's eyebrows furrow in helpless worry.

"Then, don't drop out," he says. I throw him a look like he has three heads. "Find a replacement," he adds. _Find… a replacement?_

"Piko Utatane! You're a genius!" I shriek, a huge smile spreading across my cheeks. I almost rush up to him, only for my leg to pull me back down again. "Oh…" I moan, cringing at the feeling as little droplets of red begin to trickle down my knee again.

"Luka!" I hear Miku's voice, "Luka! Don't move your leg!" she shouts as her voice crescendos, ascending up the hill. It isn't long before she's at my side, wrapping my long, bloody leg in clean, white bandages. "I think we should go home now…" she says quietly, her expression falling as she glances at Piko.

"But, Luka can't model tomorrow," he tells Miku. I don't even bother to watch Miku's reaction.

"But you _have _to!" she practically shouts, "Isn't that why we came up here?"

"We came for _you _too," I remind her, tapping her shoulder, "And as long as you're happy, we're fine," I sigh.

"That's so sweet of you," Miku sighs, "But…" she falters, "WAIT! THE MONEY!" she cries, clinging to her pigtails, "How are we-"

"Exactly," I quiet her, "Which is why I want you… to take my place."

* * *

**Alright. This just intense. Sort of. So, I'm in a hurry... and well, yeah... gotta go! Enjoy and review! :)**


	29. Chapter 29 - Miku

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**-Miku-**

"M-Me?" I stammer, "You want _me _to replace you?" I repeat dumbly, my hands finding their way to my twin tails.

"Please," Luka says weakly, her eyelids falling, "We _really _need this money."

"B-But… I've never modeled before!" I splutter, shaking my head, "I-I'm not even model quality!" I shout, my voice cracking.

"Hey, Miku, don't say that about yourself," Piko sighs, placing a hand supportively on my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do just fine," he smiles. For the first time, I wriggle out from his touch.

"No! Piko! I'm serious! How do you even know that the judges will like me?" I wail, shaking my head frenziedly.

"It's not a competition," Luka cuts in, "The judges won't be judging _you, _they'll be judging the designers!"

"But… But still!" I spit, "There's… I… but…"

"Give me one good reason why you shouldn't do this. Come on, Miku, we're being serious right now. If you're not willing to do it for Luka, do it for yourself. _You _need this money just as badly," Piko sighs, his gaze resting on the ground below. _Now he's turning me into a selfish egotistic? How could he?_

"P-Piko, that's not what I meant! I _would _do it for Luka!" I falter.

"Then," Luka interrupts, "Why _aren't _you?" I take a moment to pause as everyone exchanges a long, lasting glance. "Come on, Miku, look at what's at stake here," she reminds me. _That's right… the money… our return back home… but I don't _want _to go home… I want to stay right here with Piko… how can such perfect moments be ruined by problems like these?_

"Fine," I sigh, "I'll do it. I'll be your replacement, okay? Just this once!" I surrender. _But… Piko… I just want to be with him… _"On _one _condition," I add, closing my eyes. _I'm so going to regret this. _"I'll only be your replacement _if _we can stay here in Paris," I huff with a cross of my arms. Only until I hear the words coming out of my mouth do I actually realize how irrational the deal is.

"Miku, that's crazy! Have you lost your mind?" Luka shouts, trying to get up. I almost reach out to stop her from hurting herself, but I can see by her evident grimaces that she doesn't care whether it hurts or not.

"Only for a couple more days!" I wail, trying to fix my senseless words. Again, I feel a hand on my shoulder, pulling me around. "What?" I sneer, only to soften upon meeting Piko's widening eyes.

"Miku… Please…" he starts, his gentle fingers caressing my shoulder. "I love you… so much…" he nearly whispers, "But Luka's right… that _is _a bit crazy. I mean, I know you want to stay. Really, I want you to stay too," he sighs, wrapping his other hand around my much smaller one and bringing it to his chest. _I love when he does this… _His thumb traces circles around my knuckles delicately.

"I don't wanna talk about this," I say, my shoulders giving in.

"Huh?" he asks quietly, his attention snapping up.

"I don't wanna talk about this," I repeat with more force, shoving his hand away and turning around sharply to face Luka. "Luka, look, you guys are right, I'm sorry, this… I-I was wrong. I was stupid. I was crazy. I was senseless," I go on, only for both pairs of eyes to widen.

"Miku, stop!" Luka cuts me off, shaking her head, "Please stop. You're not any of those things," she says, her eyes squinting as she shifts her weight off her right leg, altering her current standing position. Piko silently agrees. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a _little _bit?" Luka asks.

"Not everybody was born perfect for this kind of thing like you were, Luka," I say, letting out a heavy breath that I wasn't aware I was holding.

"Nobody's perfect. Did you not just see me fall and black out?" Luka laughs. I can't help but join in as well. "And, not everybody can sing and play piano and drums and guitar and… well, everything else like you can!" she splutters, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh, remember that time when Rin was dancing to my drumming and then she accidentally crashed into the set?" I giggle, the memory coming back to me. _And then I went to see if she was okay and I tripped over Gumi's foot… Ah… _Luka draws in a breath, and then lets it out, her eyelids squeezed shut as she collapses into laughter.

"Remember during our elementary school graduation party, Rin crashed into the punch table and spilled punch all over that one really quiet weird girl with the long red hair and that ahoge?" Luka snickers, "So much crashing!"

"You're talking about Miki, aren't you?" Piko interrupts quietly.

"Huh?" Luka asks, completely unfazed, her smile still lingering.

"Oh, right, Miki… she hated me," I giggle, eyes wide as I push down the comment with my hands.

"Yeah…" Luka laughs, "She really did. Oh, that's right," she says, her laughter dropping. Suddenly, her gaze flickers toward Piko as they both cringe.

"What?" I ask, tilting my head, a touch of laughter still protracted.

"Miki had a crush on me back in elementary school. You didn't know that?" Piko asks.

"Sh-She did?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"But, she knew you did too!" Luka sings with a giggle, her eyes soaring toward the sky as she sways her head from side to side playfully. "She really did not like you," she stretches out, bursting into another fit of laughter.

"I thought- I thought you were dating Miki not long ago! How was she here? Did she move or something?" I throw questions at Piko like daggers.

"Yeah, she moved to Paris after fifth grade, remember?" Luka retells, shaking her head.

"S-She _did_?" I ask. _Piko moved in fourth grade… and Miki followed him in fifth… _"Oh, that's right," I cry out, kicking my foot up as I smack my palm against my forehead. "Okay, okay, yeah. I remember that now," I grin. Piko just shakes his head and stifles a chuckle. "Hey, Piko…" I start, biting my lip hesitantly, "Will you tell me more about Miki?" I ask with a tilt of my head.

"Well… I mean… she was nice and all," Piko says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "But well… After a while… I just kind of… fell _out_ of love… Like… she wasn't… right for me? I guess…" he shrugs.

"Aww… so you didn't like her?" Luka clarifies, nodding her head.

"I… That's a harsh way to put it," Piko grimaces. "I mean, literally everybody thought we were the cutest couple and everything. I even stopped trimming my ahoge because everybody said it was better when we were matching. And believe me, she clung to me for dear life… but… I just didn't feel the same," Piko explains, "And then… I-I started thinking… that there was someone else on my mind… But I couldn't really put a finger on whom. Then, my parents, when they left for their business trip, were packing and needed to find something in my closet… and well, they found this old self portrait from fourth grade. I guess I was about to throw it away, when I remembered you helping me out with it," Piko says, both his shoulders and eyebrows rising. "And then… I guess everything started coming back to me… and I remembered that you were the one unintentionally between me and Miki," he says.

"S-So… what you're saying is… _I _was the reason you broke up with her?" I ask, my voice intonating into a wail. "Piko!" I fling my hand into the air. "Have you even talked to her since you broke up with her?" I ask. He opens his mouth to say something, only for me to cut him off with a groan of disbelief. "Come _on _Piko, did you even think about _her _feelings once after you left her?" I ask, my bottom eyelids rising in abhorrence.

"No," Piko admits, "I guess… you're right."

"She could be like… emotionally scarred for all you know!" I cry, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"She's not. I was just talking to her the other day…" Luka trails off. Both Piko and I turn to look at her in confusion. "You know, she's a model too," she prompts us. "She seemed pretty happy, and told me a whole bunch of stuff about how she felt about both of you pretty openly," she adds.

"What'd she say about me?!" Piko and I both gasp at the same time.

"Piko, she pretty much just summarized what you told me. She seemed to miss you just a little bit, though. As for you, Miku, she told me she didn't like you because you were 'so perfect all the time', or something like that," Luka recalls, quoting Miku's words with her fingertips. I sheepishly grip on both my dangling twin tails.

"S-She said that… Are you sure she was talking about _me_?" I ask, slightly confused.

"Yeah, but then she added that it was a pretty stupid reason to hate someone," Luka shrugs, "And I agree with that."

"She misses me?" Piko asks, more to himself than to Luka. "I guess I kinda feel bad," he says, his hand finding its way to the back of his neck again.

"Wait," Luka says, raising her finger suspiciously, "Wouldn't she have gone to go talk to you a couple days ago? Wasn't she at your house? I swear, right after our conversation, she told me she was going to go talk to you and ran down your driveway!" Luka cries, her eyes widening.

"She said that?" Piko asks diffidently, "But… She wasn't ever at my house!"

"Are you sure?" Luka asks, "Maybe she was there when you weren't! Maybe… Maybe you just didn't hear her ring the doorbell!" she says, tossing theories out into the air. "Where were you then?" she asks. I watch in anticipation as Piko takes a moment to contemplate. Suddenly, his eyes widen as he smacks his forehead.

"Oh!" he says, "I was outside with Gumi!"

"Gumi?" I inhale, my eyebrows mounting. _This was a couple of days ago… Right after Gumi told me how much she liked Piko… This couldn't have been good._

"Yeah, we were pretty far out in my backyard playing catch. I guess I probably didn't hear the doorbell," Piko shrugs.

"That explains it," Luka nods.

"But that still doesn't change the fact that you should probably call her," I interject, triggering Piko to let out a sigh.

"You're right. We should probably be heading back now. My phone's down there," he adds, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. In silence, we all walk down carefully down the hill, Luka holding on to Piko's arm warily so that she doesn't fall again.

_Was I really the one to break up Piko and Miki? The worst part is- I didn't even know. No wonder Miki hates me. She probably never even wants to hear my name again. But… "Being so perfect all the time"? That couldn't have been me, could it have? Just look at me… These stupid childish twin tails… this revolting teal seaweed color? Why can't I have beautiful pink hair like Luka? My voice isn't even enough to make me known for anything like being a model. What is it that Miki even sees in me? _

_What is it that _Piko _sees in me? _

_He probably doesn't even see anything at all… Maybe it's all just a lie so that he can break my heart on the day that I leave… But he wouldn't do that, would he? Maybe he's cheating on me with Gumi! Is he really that terrible? _I glance over to Luka clutching onto Piko's arm as she places her footsteps cautiously. _Could it be that Luka…? No. I'm just being paranoid. _My eyes follow Piko's motions, his gaze returning to mine as his features relax. Again, I find my fingers entangled in my twin tails… _My stupid, childish, revolting seaweed-colored twin tails… _as my bottom lip begins to shake.

_If Piko stopped loving Miki, am I next?_

* * *

**Oh, Miku-leek-u, I'm sorry, but you maybe just might be the next girl with a broken heart. Maybe. *giggles***

**Well, someone *cough* gave me the idea for Piko to go and BETRAY Miku (I love that word), so I'm giving it some thought. With the current point I have reached with these characters, I can say that the decision is pretty obvious.**

**Eating: Chewing gum  
Drinking: Nothing  
Doing: Publishing, picking out a dress for this party I'm going to  
Homework: *groans* Ten billion tests next week... arghghghh  
Listening to: My stomach growling  
Quote time: "Am I next?" - Miku**

**Yeah, yeah. I'm really tired... yawns make good harmonies to stomach growls...**


	30. Chapter 30 - Gumi

**Chapter Thirty**

**-Gumi-**

"Kaito Shion," I growl, my hands balling up into rocks, "Never ever do that again." He chuckles, leaning back on the couch arm in satisfaction. _Does he think that was funny?_

"What? Are you just mad that I changed your mind about shota-boy?" he laughs, his cobalt eyes glistening mischievously.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" I spit, trying to wipe the kiss off my cheek with my shoulder. He only chuckles again.

"Admit it… You don't even like him anymore," Kaito smirks, shifting his position just so that he can lean forward in my face and make me uncomfortable. I can't help but swallow- and really loudly, too. I swear, I can feel his breath on my face.

"Ew, gross. But unfortunately, I think you made it pretty clear to me that you don't like Miku anymore…" I sing, shoving a finger in front of his face.

"Who said that's true?" he laughs.

"Idiot!" I gasp. _Is he really doing this? This isn't funny…_ "You know, maybe she won't like it very much if she finds out what you just did!" I point out, jabbing my finger further up, right in between his eyes.

"Go ahead, tell her," he shrugs, still not losing the haughty smirk, "Do you _really _think she'll care?" I take a moment to let his words sink in. _She has Piko now… he's right… Kaito's right…_

"You're right," I give in with a heavy sigh. Suddenly, I bite my lip furiously as the fire is lit yet again. "But that _still _doesn't make it okay!" I shriek, stomping my foot on the ground as I stand up from the couch in fury.

"She's too absorbed in being with Piko to even look at me. I've pretty much given up," Kaito shrugs, his narrow eyes as thin as his curled-up lips. "Haven't you realized it too? You can't keep chasing after Piko. He doesn't even see you as anyt-"

"Shut up, Kaito!" I screech, feeling a strange tugging feeling in my eyes as they focus and refocus, blurring my vision until I can hardly see anymore. "Don't you get it? You're completely unbelievable!" I shout, the feeling growing as my eyes begin to sting. It's not long before I can taste fat, hot, salty tears seeping into the corners of my lips and sinking bitterly into my tongue.

"Hey, Gumi…" Kaito trails off, standing up as well.

"Just shut up, okay?!" I cry, stamping my foot on the ground as I wrap my fingers in my scalp and yank at my hair. _How could he say that? Doesn't he know when he's going too far? People have feelings, you know!_

"Gumi, I'm sorry…" Kaito starts. I almost cut him off, but the look in his eyes as they relax softly ends up silencing me instead. I hold his gaze, the fire in my eyes growing and growing into a raging conflagration, challenging his shaking stare with every spark.

"Just… Just…" I start, clenching and unclenching my clammy fists. "You should be," I manage to hiss out, the acrimonious taste in my mouth lingering nastily.

"I _am_," he says, reaching out a finger to my face. I flinch in response, not sure what he's doing, yet I'm surprised to see how soft his fingertips are as they brush across my cheek in attempt to wipe the tears away. For once, I let him.

"You know…" I sigh as his thumb runs across my cheek lightly. "You're not wrong," I murmur, "Piko and Miku are all for each other now… Neither of us even have the slightest of chances anymore."

"Look, I didn't mean for… you know… _that _to be so sudden on you," he starts awkwardly, his hand hovering over my cheek. "But don't you think… that we may have a chance… with each other?" he asks quietly. Only the hum of the idle television follows as my gaze drops down.

_Would I really give up Piko for Kaito? Oh, what am I talking about? I don't even have Piko right now… let alone a chance… Just as long as nothing pulls me and Miku apart, it'll be okay. Right?_

"Yeah…" Kaito shrugs, pulling at his scarf, "I didn't think so either."

"No! Kaito, wait!" I say a bit too desperately. "I'll… I'll have to give it some thought."

"Give it some thought? Is that just some lame way to blow me off? Of course, I should've known you wouldn't change your mind," Kaito says, throwing his hands up into the air apathetically.

"Kaito…" I start, my tone warning and hostile, "Just… maybe a little bit of time to think about this and maybe to change a couple things with-"

"Alright, fine," Kaito quickly says, trying a bit too hard to seem indifferent, "Have your stupid time. I don't care." Suddenly, again, I feel the tugging feeling, but this time it pulls at the corners of my cherry-red lips. _W-Why am I grinning? This isn't-_

"It's so cute, the way you get upset," I sigh, sitting back on the couch with a plop, only for Kaito's sapphire eyes to grow large. _Bet you weren't expecting that, Kaito. It's okay… honestly, I wasn't either._

"W-What was that?" Kaito asks, sitting down on the couch next to me, "You weren't just messing with me, were you?" he inspects, tilting his head.

"No," I drone, not sure whether I'm lying or not, "Look, I really do need time though. But I'm not the only one. You, sir, on the other hand, need time to think about why on _earth_ you thought it was alright for you to kiss me like that, you big idiot," I say, my voice catching on a laugh.

"You think it's funny, don't you?" Kaito asks quietly, looking up through his glossy bangs as a smirk begins snaking onto his lips. "You liked it, didn't you?!" he chuckles, throwing me a look that seriously frightens me.

"N-No!" I stammer, only to be cut off by a sharp stabbing pain in my stomach. More follow rapidly, and before I can even process what's going on, I see Kaito moving closer to me, connecting the view of his playful face to his fingers that jab into my stomach cuttingly. "St-Stop ti-i-icklin-ing m-meeee!" I shriek in between wild uncontrollable laughter. "Stttaaaahhhppp!" I scream, kicking my legs up in protest.

The sounds of our hysterical laughter mix in the air as I continue to have finger-missiles shot into my sides. "Stop!" I object, though my cries remain useless. "Stop!" I try again, only to feel Kaito's hands rising to my neck. _Gah! He's trying to choke me!_

Instead, I feel Kaito shifting his position up over mine as I am forced back against the couch arm. _W-What is going on? _"K-Kaito…" I mumble his name in confusion, remunerated only with a pair of lips pushing up against mine. _Didn't I just tell him I didn't want this?_ Yet, I don't object. _Why not? _His eyelashes caress my face as he holds the kiss, wrapping his hands around my neck and shoulders. Not able to take anymore, I pull back, rotating my head away from him, only for him to start kissing my cheek._ Wh-?_

"Kaito…" I try again, though it comes out sounding more like… an invitation. His lips trace a line across my cheek, but before they reach mine, I place two fingers in front of his mouth delicately, as if to silence him. "Kaito… don't," is all I can get out.

"I'm sorry, Gumi… I just…" Kaito sighs, running his fingers through his bangs, only for his bangs to fall back down over his eyes again. _Here he goes again, with that adorable-_

"It's so cute, the way you get upset," I sigh, wrapping my fingers around his collarbone. _What am I doing? I'm so confused…_

"I'm so confused, Gumi," Kaito says. I can't help but let out a giggle at his perfect mirroring of my thoughts. "I have no idea what you want anymore…"

"Yeah… honestly?" I grin, "Me neither, Kaito, me neither…"

_I guess there's just one more question left- How the heck did I let this happen?_

* * *

**Pfft... Heh. Okay, so I was a little bit *confused* mentally when writing this chapter...**

**Oh well. I have enough tests this week to study for. I should probably keep on doing that. Adios and enjoy!  
The next point of view I'm thinking will be Rin, and if I'm in the mood, I might make it really long. Don't worry, haha, I'm up at night thinking of ways to fix this twin problem without them falling even deeper. I think I've got it. All I have to do is put it down on paper.**

**Review with love! :)**


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